Deadline
by Dixxy Mouri
Summary: Book One: Angel of Death Fruit. SxN. Nami, Robin, and Sanji are in trouble between a sneaky bounty hunter, an immortal woman, and a greedy swordsman. Luffy and the others aren't around, and they've got three days until Sanji dies. COMPLETE!
1. Nightmares

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

Prologue

_Twelve and a half years ago. . ._

It was late, and little Nami knew she and her sister shouldn't have been out playing by themselves at this hour. But both she and Nojiko were restless that night, so they snuck out of the house to run around and play tag in the orange grove. Shrieking happily in the moonlight, neither of the little girls had much of a care in the world.

That is, of course, until Nami noticed the woman watching them.

Nami and her sister stopped running to stare at the woman in curiosity. She was a very pretty woman with wild turquoise hair and a brilliant satiny dress – nothing like any of the village women would wear, even on a special occasion. The little girls were mystified by her appearance and curious as to how such a magnificent woman had come to appear in their orange grove.

"Hello, little girls," she said. "Tell me. . . what are you dreams?"

Nami and Nojiko stared at each other. She was pretty, but she was also a little weird. Why did she want to know what their dreams are? Didn't she want to know their names or something first?

"I think Bellemere-san told us not to talk to strangers," said Nojiko.

"Yeah. . ." said Nami, looking at the woman with worried curriosity. She cleared her throat and cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted at the woman. "Our mommy said we were not to talk to strangers! So bye-bye, lady!"

"But my darlings – we have met, so we are strangers no longer!" she said.

"We don't know who you are – you're a stranger!" said Nojiko, pointing an accusing finger at the woman. Nami took that as a cue to hide behind her older sister – something was very scary about this situation. "I'm going to get our mommy and you'll be in trouble! So go away!"

"Ah, but that is only because I have not been given the chance to get to know you. Why, once we talk for a while then we won't be strangers any longer!" she said. She began to step towards the girls, and the sisters held hands and stepped backwards with each step she took towards them. "Now my dears, let me get to know you a little better-"

"GET AWAY FROM THEM!"

Nami and Nojiko looked behind them to see Bellemere-san was holding her shotgun and pointing it directly at the strange woman. Both girls squeaked and hid behind their mother, peeking around her legs to see what was going on. Bellemere-san looked very tense, sweat dripping down her forehead as she steadied the gun at the strange woman.

The woman wasn't very bothered by the gun and continued to step forward – Bellemere-san cocked the gun in response. The stranger clucked her tongue and shook her head. "Now, now, now. . . why must we resort to violence?" the woman asked. "I simply want to talk with your lovely little girls."

Their mother wasn't moved. "I know who you are. . . I know what you want. . . now get the hell away from my daughters. . ." Bellemere said coolly. She put the gun over her shoulder.

The woman shrugged, then grinned darkly. Nami thought her eyes darkened a little and she appeared to grow fangs. "So, should I search for another child in your village? They're all so young and supple. . . I must say this village has children who look simply. . . **_delicious_**. . ."

Nami's eyes went wide.

"Get. Off. This. Island. NOW!" Bellemere shouted, firing a bullet at the woman. Nami and Nojiko screamed, burying their faces into the back of Bellemere's shirt.

But the bullet didn't hit its mark.

"What the- she's gone?!" asked Bellemere-san. Nami peeked around her mother's leg and gasped to see the monster woman had vanished. She looked up at Bellemere, questioning the woman as to where the woman had mysteriously run off to. Bellemere placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. She looked terrified, but relieved to see they were both all right. "Nami. . . Nojiko. . . I'm going to bring you back to the house. Do no let anyone but me inside. Hide yourselves under my bed and don't make a sound until I come back," she said calmly. "I don't want to loose either one of you to that monster."

"Monster?" asked Nojiko.

"If that woman had her way. . . I would have never seen either of you ever again."

_Shortly after Enies Lobby. . ._

Nami woke up with a start, looking around frantically as she tried to remember where she was. She noticed that a few of her crew mates were staring at her strangely, and she blushed as she calmed down. "Ah. . . sorry," she said, relaxing back into her chair. "Don't mind me."

"Did you just have a bad dream?" asked Luffy. His eyes widened in horror (though his face still carried a slightly blank expression that was customary for their captain). "Don't tell me – it was a world without meat, wasn't it?" With that, he began to scream and run around the deck at the idea of a world without meat.

Nami glared at the captain, but decided he would distract himself with something else shortly – most likely something in the kitchen, preferably something with meat. She sighed, looking around long enough to see the rest of her friends – at least those also out on the deck – had gone back to their regular business and had seemingly forgotten about her sudden outburst.

It had been a long time since she had thought about the woman in the orange grove – years, probably. When she had been a little girl, it was this woman who haunted her dreams, lived under her bed, and made her run screaming to Bellemere's side. She would chase after her in dreams, snatching her away from her mother.

This woman represented all of her worst fears until Arlong came along, and suddenly the monster woman was pushed to the back of her mind. Nami didn't have the time or energy to be afraid of her at the moment – she had a lot of money to raise, and she wanted to raise it quickly.

But with Arlong out of her life and well behind her, it looked like this other nightmare was slowly creeping back to the surface. Maybe it was her new bounty that had put her on edge at the idea of being taken away from her friends. Or maybe something about Enies Lobby was still bothering her – they had almost lost Robin and Usopp, but in the end the only change in their lineup was a new ship and a new crewmate.

"Nami-swan! Did you enjoy your afternoon journey into dreamland!?"

Nami smiled kindly at the ship's cook, who was dancing – yes, dancing – towards her lounge chair with a cocktail in one hand and a smile on his face. "Hello, Sanji-kun," she said. She swung her legs over the side of the chair, crossed them, and folded her hands into her lap.

"Ah, my lovely Nami-san, it is an original creation of my very own with sweet tangerine juice and a few special spices," he said, twirling before presenting the beverage to the crew's navigator. Nami took a sip through the straw – as always, it was wonderful. Ignoring that he was a bit overly amorous, Nami had to give the captain credit for finding such a talented cook. "Do you like it?"

"It's wonderful, Sanji-kun," she said. She sighed and leaned back, stirring the drink with the little paper umbrella. Sanji hadn't left her side yet, though – he was now squatting next to her lawn chair, staring at her in worry. "Ne, Sanji-kun? Is everything all right?"

"You looked upset before I came over here," he said.

_Oddly perceptive of you,_ Nami mentally noted. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."

"Did something back in Enies Lobby scare you? Or somewhere else in our travels?" he asked, taking a seat and pulling out a cigarette. He lit the smoke and inhaled. "Right now we're fine – every thing's been quiet for a few days, so you should try and calm down a bit."

"No, this dream had to do with something from a long time ago," she said.

Sanji frowned. "It's not Arlong, is it?"

Nami shook her head. "No, but I'm not sure I want to talk about it," she said.

"Aw, Nami-san," he said. "If you don't get it off your chest it will just keep coming back. It's all right if you don't want to talk with me about it, but you should talk with someone – even the stupid Marimo head is better than no one. All keeping it in will do is make you worry about, and we need our navigator clear-headed so she knows where we're going, right?"

"You're probably right," she said. "But. . . I need to think about it for a little first, okay?"

"All right," he said, standing up. Sanji brushed off his pants and lit a cigarette. He took a drag, blew a smoke ring, and winked at Nami. "When you decide you're ready, and if you need someone to talk to," he said as he started to saunter back to the kitchen, "you know where to find me."

Nami smiled as he disappeared through the door to the galley. At least someone on the crew noticed whenever she was having a tough day. Even if he could be a pain in the ass sometimes, it was nice to know he was around either way. _Maybe I should take him up on his offer to talk about it._

But just at that moment she heard loud cries of laughter from the captain, doctor, and marksman followed by a loud crash and yelling from the first mate. Sanji's offer was completely forgotten as Nami grabbed her Perfect ClimaTact and prepared to find out just what her idiot captain had done this time.

_Later that evening. . ._

It was Sanji's turn to take watch that night, and he used the opportunity to have a few moments to himself with a bottle of his favorite wine and some smokes. The observation tower made watch a lot nicer than it had been on the Going Merry (though everyone save Franky still missed the old ship terribly).

He was surprised to hear the door open, and smiled to see his Nami-san coming through the door. "Nami-san, what a pleasant surprise!" he said cheerfully. She smiled seductively at him and swayed her hips as she walked over to him with and slid into his lap, giggling lightly as she licked his nose.

Sanji was speechless as Nami pressed her forehead against his own. "Na. . . Nami-san. . ." he stuttered. He reached up to touch the side of her face, and she pulled away, pressing a finger to his lips. His eyes widened, and he wondered if this was real. Nami was here, trying to seduce him, and he WANTED to be seduced.

In a flash, however, Nami was gone, and Sanji was alone in a dark room. "Nami-san?" he asked. "Nami-san. . . this is getting really weird. . . hello?" He took a few steps forward, then started to call out. "Usopp? Luffy? Robin-chan? Chopper? Is anybody there? Franky? Marimo-head? Anybody?"

**You're all alone, little boy. Isn't that a sad story?**

Sanji looked around, but he could see the source of the voice. "Who's there?"

**I am.**

The cook felt tense and started to panic, instinctively searching for a cigarette – only to have a strong, bony hand grab his hand and pin him to a wall. He cried out as he felt something sharp skid across the back of his neck. Sanji couldn't move, and he felt warm, moist breath on the side of his face.

**Don't be afraid.**

Sanji turned his head in time to see large, sharp teeth closing in on his face. . .

Sanji woke up on the floor on his room, his legs tangled in the sheets. The others in the room were still asleep, and he put his face in his hands. He didn't want to deal with his crew mates right now – he just needed a few moments to collect himself and then he could go back to sleep. After all, he had to get up in a few hours to start breakfast.

_Yes – focus on breakfast. You can pancakes – it's a little extra time consuming than just eggs and bacon. . . mixing the batter. . . grinding the spices. . . it'll be good to concentrate on. . ._ Sanji picked up the sheets and laid them on the bed, and considered going out for a smoke.

His cigarettes and lighter were stuffed in the pocket of his favorite suit jacket, and he fumbled around for them, finally wrapping his hand around both. He stared at the half empty pack of smokes and the lighter – which was almost out of fluid – and shoved them back into the jacket and pulled the covers over his head.

_Somewhere on the Grand Line. . ._

Just like every other tavern, this one was invariably filled with lots of loud, rowdy drunks – at least half of whom had bounties for one crime or another – and more than a few men sporting black eyes and missing teeth from previously lost fights. And, as per usual, one of the drunks decided to get a little too friendly for Sanae's liking.

"Hey baby, what's shakin'?"

Sanae rolled her eyes. She didn't think she was particularly good pick up material, but considering not a lot of women were bold enough to go into these establishments, she got used to being hit on by horny pirate men. _Seriously, can't you find someone better to hit on than me?_ She saw a rather large-chested woman across the tavern, but upon a second glance realized she was actually a he. _Oh. That's why._

Sanae noted the metal ring donning his finger and smiled. "Isn't that a wedding ring?" she asked innocently as she took a seat on the edge of the table, eliciting several snickers and whistles from the other men at the table. She lifted the man's hand, looking at the ring with interest. "Hmm, maybe not. I doubt a woman with half a brain would go near you, anyways. And the ring? The craftsmanship is shoddy – you got ripped off."

The man laughed at Sanae and began to brag. "I stole it! I've got a ten million bounty on my head – I'm more than capable of snitching a little ring like this!" said the drunk. "It was part of a heist our crew pulled a few weeks back – dumbass merchant didn't know what hit him!"

Sanae laughed. "If he was smart he would've paid you to take this piece of shit off his hands," she said. "The edging is uneven and the ring wasn't even made with real silver – looks like aluminum if you ask me – it's junk metal and probably isn't even worth the leather in your boots."

The drunk grew angry with her evaluation. "You're making me angry, little miss – I think you need to pay me back with some of your services, girl." He stood up, clearly dwarfing her in height and girth. "You're a pretty one, aren't you, girly? A really pretty one. . ."

Sanae rolled her eyes. "Oh please."

"You better take me seriously, bitch!"

Yup. Now he'd done it. "You asked for it!"

One busted pirate, one collected bounty, one cappuccino, a BLT and a half-eaten ice cream later, Sanae strolled out of a small restaurant a few blocks away from the tavern (and the local Marine HQ) with the cone still in hand and a satisfied stomach. Though her quest for information was so far unsatisfied, she still had the entire evening to look for anyone with a clue.

"Straw Hat and his crew are worth WHAT!?"

She turned her head to see a pair of Marine privates – she knew them as Akiraa and Nagi from her recent drop-off – nailing bounty posters on nearby bulletin board. Nagi looked like he was about ready to soil himself while Akira just looked amused as his friend stared at the stack of posters before him. "I told you – those guys are monsters! I haven't seen a crew with this many bounties. . . ever!"

Sanae had heard of Straw Hat Luffy before – he was some up-and-coming pirate worth one-hundred million berries with a former bounty hunter from East Blue named Roronoa Zoro and the infamous monster of West Blue, Nico Robin, amongst the ranks of his crew. But from the way these Marines were talking, Straw Hat made another mess and was going to make some bounty hunter or Marine officer very, very happy one day. Sanae walked over to the Marines – she was curious about what was going on with the infamous pirate. "What's going on?"

"The Straw Hat Pirates, that's what!" said Nagi. He pointed at the smiling face of the man who had eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi, shaking in his boots. Sanae never understood how a man who looked so simple could be so dangerous, but apparently the World Government thought otherwise. "The boys at Mariejoa just tripled his bounty! He's worth three-hundred MILLION berries!"

She nearly choked on her ice cream cone. "THREE-HUNDRED MILLION?!"

Akira scoffed. "Nico Robin and Roronoa Zoro got boosts, too," he said. He snickered. "And a few other members of his crew have started getting some attention as well – that whole group is worth a small fortune! I'd love to be the one to take them down – bet Sanae here wouldn't mind that kind of a payload, either."

"You couldn't take down a three-hundred million pirate!" said Nagi.

The other Marine shrugged, waving the posters as his arm moved. "I'll get stronger." He laughed. "But even with her unusual credentials, even Little Miss Bounty Hunter here might have some trouble – that no name from before was just worth ten million. These guys are worth a lot more."

Sanae shook her head. "May I see the rest of the posters?" she asked, bending over a little and gently touching the top poster. "I'm a little curious to see these myself. Just what kind of crew does this guy have anyways?"

"Oh, we've already hung up the complete set on this wall – see for yourself!" Akira stepped aside, proudly displaying the eight posters neatly lining the wall, not even old enough to have tears or smudges on them yet. "We haven't confirmed one of them to be a part of the crew, but they're pretty sure that if he's spotted the Straw Hats won't be far off."

Sanae stared at the posters in disbelief. "That can't be right," she said softly.

"Yeah, it's pretty disturbing that this one crew is worth this much for just a handful of people – they're even got some kind of cyborg! Can you believe that? He's not completely human! Half of him is made from guns and stuff!" said Nagi. He purred as he ran a finger down the picture of a woman in a bikini top. "Though I must say that the burglar looks pretty hot. I haven't seen a girl look that good in a swimsuit for a LONG time."

"Yeah, but what's up with the pet? I think they spent more money making posters for that stupid thing than he's actually worth! I mean, come on, can't they at least bump him to a million? I mean, one of the Straw Hats could probably pay twice the pet's bounty just to make a bounty hunter go away."

"The ones that are pissing me off are these two – Black Leg Sanji and the Sniper King, Sogeking. We've got one guy with a half-ass sketch and another son of a bitch in a mask. Now how are we supposed to catch those two with that to go on? Huh? Unless that mask is glued to his face we're not gonna know a thing about Sogeking for a while and freakin' Black Leg's only got some stupid eyebrow to go on! Man. . . they don't pay us enough to go after some of these guys. What do you think, Sanae – hey, Sanae?"

But Sanae was already headed for the shipyard. Akira laughed. "Well, well, well, looks like that tiggy little stick is a little ballsier than we thought, huh Nagi?" He slapped his knee, then grinned. "If it weren't for her ability, you wouldn't think someone like her would be able to build up a reputation as a bounty hunter, would you?"

Nagi nodded. "And with her ability. . . Straw Hat Luffy better hope she doesn't find him."

Author's Notes

I wanted to extend a special thank-you to my friend Chris-kun for beta-reading my one-shot "Upset" and looking over some of the earlier drafts of the outline for Deadline and hearing some preliminary ideas for the next books in the series (this is the first in a series of three Angel of Death Fruit stories).

I've tried to cut back on Sanae's importance in the prologue and put more emphasis on Nami and a little on Sanji, but I felt like it was important that Sanae have an appearance early on in the story as she starts her hunt for the Straw Hat Pirates.

Enjoy!

Dixxy


	2. Camping Trip

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter One – February 28, 12:00 p

* * *

Not every island on the Grand Line was inhabited by man, as was the island the Straw Hat pirates currently found themselves on. Thick with trees and plants and no sounds suggesting a village or city (though plenty of sounds suggesting other forms of wildlife), the small crew realized they were by themselves for the time being.

The time being, it turned out, was going to be two weeks.

"What do you MEAN the Log Pose is going to take two weeks!?" asked Nami. The crew was gathered around the kitchen table to discuss their latest predicament. Robin promised an explanation for their current situation, and Luffy decided everyone should meet together to discuss it.

"This is probably a Wild Isle," said Robin. "They're small, uninhabited islands that have an unexplainable magnetic field. Sometimes it has no pull at all, and other times its pull is strong enough to attract a Log Pose already fixed on another destination. No Grand Line scientist has been able to explain them, and there's no way to know just how many of them exist because of their sporadic magnetic fields – it's entirely possible there are only two of them – one of each side of the Red Line – or it's also possible there are dozens of them."

"Su-GEI!" Luffy exclaimed, standing up so quickly his hat almost fell off his head. "If it's a Wild Isle then it must be great for exploring and camping and hunting and fishing!" He cried out in excitement and clapped his hands. "We should explore the island and see what it has to offer! Like lots and lots of meat!"

"Well, if there are any animals on the island we could probably hunt them for an extra food source – since this unexpected issue arouse, we'll need the extra food supply anyways," said Zoro. He grinned. Looks like he'd get a chance to kick some ass. "Perhaps our captain is right – a hunting expedition might be a good idea."

"Yosh! Hunting! Meat!"

"We've got enough food on the ship to last the eight of us eating NORMAL portions for only a couple of days," said Sanji, who made sure to send a special glare towards the captain. Luffy frowned and stuck his tongue out at the chef. "But if several of us head off for the hunting expedition, the current food supply will last a lot longer – plus we'll have the fruits of the camping expedition to last us to the next island."

"And we'll need someone to stay behind on the ship," said Franky. "Just in case we get some unexpected visitors – man or beast. If this island attracted our Log Pose, it might've attracted some other Log Poses as well – like bounty hunters, other pirates, or Marines. And with our bounties and no way off the island for two weeks, that would be a very bad thing."

The marksmen sighed. "And our recent adventures through Enies Lobby just makes us fun pickings for any of those groups of people," said Usopp. "We're going to have Marines and bounty hunters coming at us from every side for a while – nothing I, the great Captain Usopp couldn't handle, but it would still be annoying." He shivered. "And scary."

Robin nodded. "Bounty hunters have been after me for a long time – I wouldn't be surprised if they're looking at the rest of your posters and salivating at the thought of collecting any of your bounties. This crew is worth a lot of money right now and regardless of any competition that might exist between certain crew members, that isn't a laughing matter."

"Even Chopper's?" Sanji added dryly.

Chopper stuck his tongue out at the cook.

Nami ignored the doctor and the cook's tiff and continued on with the meeting, though her eyebrow did twitch a little bit. "So we should probably split up into two groups – at least two people – maybe three – should stay on the Thousand Sunny and the rest of us should look for food and other supplies on the island."

Chopper's eyes lit up. "Maybe there are some herbs and plants I could use for medicine!"

"I've been running low on spices," Sanji said, looking forlornly at his spice rack.

"These trees probably aren't Adam Wood, but there might be something here that'll do nicely for temporary repairs until we can get our hands on something better," the cyborg added helpfully.

"So it sounds like most of us are in agreement over the hunting expedition," said Nami. She stood up, placing her hands on the table. "So, let's decide who's going with the expedition and who's keeping watch on the ship. Any volunteers?"

Within seconds, Nami knew a consensus would not be reached easily.

* * *

February 28, 12:56 pm

* * *

"YOSH! EXPLORING TIME!" Luffy said with a whoop as he dashed into the woods, Zoro yelling after him to slow down and wait for the rest of the group. Chopper morphed into his reindeer form and assisted the first mate in the chase for the captain (and make sure they didn't get themselves lost).

The shipwright was giving the crew remaining on the ship a few parting instructions while Usopp was double-checking what he had packed. Nami had volunteered to lead the group staying behind, which consisted of the archaeologist and the cook (and of course, herself). "Now, you three know how to work the canons and get to the emergency weapons storage, right?" asked Franky. "Usopp and I have an extra barrel of gunpowder below deck – that should be plenty to keep the guns firing until your run out of bullets. And then there's-"

"Yes, yes, yes, we know how to do all that," said Nami, smiling as she waved the shipwright off. "We'll be fine – you're needed to help bring back the food, now get going! Robin and Sanji have two of the highest bounties on the crew – they can just look at most bounty hunters and probably send them running the other way crying for their mothers."

The cook scoffed and took a drag on his cigarette. "If they can recognize me from that piss-poor excuse for a picture," Sanji said under his breath. No one acknowledged the comment; it was no secret that he was still upset over his wanted poster picture.

"Shipwright-san, it's all right – go and enjoy yourself," said Robin. "We could all use a little relaxation time and I'm sure that you would do well to have some bonding time with Captain-san and the others. Navigator-san, Cook-san and I will be enjoying our break on the ship. Then we'll all be refreshed and ready to face our next challenge."

The cyborg considered this, then nodded in agreement. Franky gave the navigator one last "super!" and a pose before running after his captain, leaving Usopp between the expedition and the group staying behind. He started to walk towards Franky, but stopped in mid stride and turned around.

"Long Nose-kun?" asked Robin.

Nami sighed. "This better not be your 'I-can't-go-into-these-woods' disease."

Usopp waved. "I just remembered – it's almost March," he said.

"So?" asked Nami.

"Sanji's birthday is in two days! He's going to be twenty soon and the rest of us are going to miss it – he'll have you two, but the rest of us are going to be in the middle of the woods when he turns the big two-zero," Usopp said. Sanji's eyes widened at the mention of the day. The marksmen raised an eyebrow at the cook, scratching his head. "Sanji? You look a little ill – is something wrong?"

Sanji cleared his throat and stared at the ground. He loosened his necktie a little, and his eyes were suddenly wide. "I. . . uh. . . I almost forgot," he said. "I'm going to be twenty in a few days, won't I?" He laughed nervously. "Ha. Twenty. The end of my teenage years. The big two-zero. Twenty."

Nami turned to Sanji in curiosity. _That is NOT a happy birthday boy._

Usopp laughed. "Ha-ha, looks like you almost forgot your own birthday!" He cleared his throat, seeing that Sanji wasn't giving his normal reaction. "So, ah, I know it's a little early, but happy birthday, Sanji. Maybe when we get back we'll have something extra with us in honor of your twentieth year." He grinned, elbowing the cook gently in the side. "I know it wouldn't be much but it's the least we could do."

"You don't have to do that," said the cook, looking away. Nami raised an eyebrow – granted, this was the first time she would be spending any time with the cook on his birthday, but his behavior was getting increasingly odd. "It's just another day with my wonderful Nami-san and Robin-chan."

"No it's not!" said Usopp. He walked back over towards Sanji and slapped him on the shoulder. "It's your birthday! You should be estatic, especially since you'll be spending it with your two favorite women – alone, might I add." Usopp turned towards Nami and Robin, winking. "Maybe, if you're lucky, one of the girls will give you something a little, how do we say. . . extra special."

Nami's attention turned to the marksmen in slight anger. Although he was probably just teasing Sanji, the innuendo had been in plain sight and she wasn't about to let any of the crew think they could get away with it – at least without sufficient monetary compensation first. "Good-bye, Usopp!" she said, shoving him towards the woods.

"I was just kidding!" the marksmen said in a panic, running away from the ship and towards the rest of his crew, shouting for them to wait up. He tripped on a root, but quickly got back to his feet as he began to scamper deeper in the woods. Nami and Robin continued to watch until he vanished into the thicket, then turned their attention back to the cook who was staring oddly into the sky.

"Cook-san?"

"It's nothing – just thinking, that's all," Sanji said quietly. "I'll get started on lunch." With that he began to shuffle back towards the galley, though the usual spring in his step from a conversation with either woman was noticeably missing. Nami and Robin exchanged a confused look.

"Perhaps Cook-san doesn't like aging?" asked Robin.

"Something doesn't seem right about this," said Nami. She laughed. "It's probably nothing – he's Sanji-kun! He'll be fine – I'm sure this is just some weird thing, right?" She smiled. Robin didn't seem to concur, and Nami frowned. "Robin, if he keeps it up we'll drill him later, okay? Do you really think he'd keep secrets from us, of all people?"

"I suppose not. . ." she said. "But it's still really weird."

* * *

February 28, 2:43 pm

* * *

Within a few hours, Luffy and his team had set up camp within the thicket of the island, and Luffy was taking that as an opportunity to go exploring. "Heh HEH, this is the magical island of endless MEAT!" he cried, bounding into an open field as he laughed in defiance. "I'll be the king of the island of meat!" He placed his hands firmly on his hips and grinned. "When I'm the Pirate King, I'll build a castle out of meat!" 

"You moron, you'll scare all the animals away if you keep that up!" Zoro chided, smacking his captain on the back of the head. Luffy pouted at him, but quieted at his first mate's suggestion. "Now, what we'll want to do is set a few traps – that'll help us catch some animals, but we're also going to want to check for vegetation – we'll have the love cook figure out if any of it's edible when we get back to the ship."

"Aw, can't we just get meat?" asked Luffy.

Zoro shook his head. "No. Now I'm not some kind of fruity food expert like Dartboard Eyebrow, but don't you remember the reason we hired that idiot in the first place?" Luffy looked thoughtful for a minute, then shook his head (but slowly began to recall why Nami suggested they keep Sanji and Zoro away from each other for a couple of weeks).

Zoro slapped his forehead. Sometimes, his captain could be a little dense – well, perhaps the better statement would be his captain was fairly dense most of the time. "Of course not. We hired that dork because without someone with a little knowledge about food on board, we'd all die."

"I'm not afraid to die," said Luffy. He grinned.

Zoro rethought his strategy. "You wouldn't be the Pirate King if you died."

"I tried my best."

_. . . all right, new plan._ "You wouldn't be able to eat meat if you died."

Luffy stared at Zoro for a few seconds before screaming and running around in a circle (it seemed Luffy's focus on meat was a bit more narrow minded than usual today). Zoro was about to reprimand him when he saw something in the trees. He did a double take a could have sword he saw something dark moving amongst the branches.

_What the. . .?_ Whatever it was moved away, and Zoro reached for his swords. There was definitely something there, and now he couldn't see or sense it. _Damn – we're not alone on this island, and whoever that was is spying on us!_ "Luffy, something's watching us – quiet down and pay attention!"

Luffy stopped short, looked around, and nodded. "You're right," he said. He stood up and brushed off his arms. Cracking his knuckles, he grinned and started to laugh. "HEY! IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING US COME OUT AND FIGHT! I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU! I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

Out the trees came a small, brown squirrel holding an acorn. It stood before Luffy, chewing on his nut and staring at the rubber boy in curiosity. Luffy, in turn, stared at the squirrel and took a fighting stance before cracking his knuckles. Zoro was dumbfounded by the entire situation. "Luffy. . . don't pick a fight with the damn squirrel."

Luffy turned to look at his first mate with an angry face. The squirrel twitched its tail, but didn't move from its spot. "I'm not picking a fight with the damn squirrel!" he said. Still holding his completely serious expression, he pointed at the squirrel in accusation. "He started it. So I'm going to kick his ass!"

Sighing, Zoro grabbed Luffy's shoulder and started to drag him towards the sound of Usopp's voice, muttering about how stupid his captain was.

* * *

February 28, 2:59 pm

* * *

"Where'd you guys go?" asked Usopp as Luffy and Zoro returned to the camp.

"Luffy tried to get into a fight with a squirrel, but more importantly I think someone is following us," said Zoro. He sat down and closed his eyes. "It was definitely human, and definitely didn't want me or Luffy to get a good look. I don't think we're the only ones on this island, and we need to be careful."

Usopp started to panic. "BWAH! MARINES AND BOUNTY HUNTERS AND PIRATES ARE GOING TO ATTACK! AHH!!!" He and Chopper began to run around the campfire pit Franky was building until Zoro intervened by grabbing both of the panicking crew members.

"Could you two please knock it off? This is serious, but nothing we can't handle," said Zoro. Now that he had the group's attention he continued. "Sanji, Robin, and Nami have the ship taken care of and the five of us can handle quite a bit on our own – we'll be fine as long as we aren't stupid. Remember, we have to stay out here for a while if we want to get enough food and supplies to get us to the next island."

"We should make sure someone keeps watch at night and no one should go out into the woods alone – there are plenty of pirates, bounty hunters, and Marines with Devil Fruit powers that can do unheard of things to any one of us – even Luffy might have some trouble against some of them."

"I don't know – he's taken on Logias before," said Usopp.

"But I haven't won against all of them," Luffy added. He frowned. "I can't figure out how to beat Smoker, and I was never able to beat Ace even before he got his Devil Fruit – and his ability would probably melt me before I ever got a chance to fight back!" He laughed. "But Ace wouldn't try to kill me – even if he does want someone else to be the Pirate King."

"Logias are pretty rare, even on the Grand Line, but we can't take any of them lightly," said Zoro. He stood up and began to walk around the fire pit. "Regardless, we need to be careful. Hopefully Nami and the others can handle themselves on the ship, but we're out here in the wild. So everyone needs to be careful. Got it?"

The rest of the group agreed and looked around uneasily.

"Right now we're trapped on this island for two weeks and we don't have any eternal poses on board – if something big comes our way, we're in a lot of trouble because we'll be sailing blind in the Grand Line. We can't take that risk," said Zoro. He grinned. "Just remember – we've taken on some tough opponents before, so don't run like a sissy at the first site of s possible enemy."

Zoro closed his eyes and concentrated. _Someone else is definitely on this island. . . but who are they and what do they want? _He opened his eyes again to check on the crew. _We'll be fine for now, but we can't risk getting caught off guard – if that happens, even some of the most incompetent Marines could catch us._

* * *

February 28, 3:05 pm

* * *

Little did Zoro know, however, the person he had spotted in the trees was watching the group from above. Perched on a branch above the group, the Iron Butterfly was watching the small group of Straw Hats with great interest. Sanae was lying belly down against the branch, making herself as invisble to the crew as possible – she needed to know what she was dealing with before she made a move. 

Finding the crew hadn't exactly been easy – it took a lot of digging around to get a few clues about their whereabouts, but she eventually guessed where they might be headed to and hopped a ship to the appropriate destination. Unfortunately, the crew decided to mutiny, and Sanae ended up in the middle. However, since none of the crew had any bounties (yet), they decided to spare her life and marooned her (and, after handing all of the money she had on her, she'd been allowed to keep some of her belongings as well) on a Wild Isle.

At this point Sanae was pretty sure she was screwed. She hated Wild Isles (this was the fourth time she'd been on one) because they only served as a two-week setback to anything she was trying to do. And right now she did NOT want to wait for a ship to get pulled the island and THEN have another two week wait while their Log Pose charged (if they didn't have an Eternal Pose, which considering how her luck had been going, that would probably be the case).

She was certain she wouldn't find them until she spotted Straw Hat's Jolly Roger on the shore and Straw Hat Luffy and Roronoa Zoro making a bee line for the woods. Perhaps her luck hadn't been so rotten after all, because now it looked like the people she was looking for had fallen right into her lap. Of course there was still the problem of charging a Log Pose for two weeks, but she would cross that bridge when she got to it.

But by the looks of it, the group of five (Cyborg Franky, Cotton Candy Loving Chopper, Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy, and an unidentified man that, based on his nose, she guessed was Sogeking without the mask) were aware that someone was watching them – they just didn't seem to realize she was so close by. Either way, now was not the time to make herself known to the group.

_All right, so they're going to be vigilant against bounty hunters and Marines – I'm not going to even get a chance to get close to any of them if they figure out who I am!_ Sanae thought from her perch above Straw Hat's camp. _Can't believe Roronoa Zoro almost saw me though – that would've been bad. I gotta be more careful. But now I can see why he's got such a high bounty – the guy's sharp!_

She looked around the rest of tree tops, trying to judge her situation. She supposed it was lucky they were on a Wild Isle – that meant no one could leave for a good solid two weeks. That was going to make things a little bit easier, but not by very much. This only narrowed the playing field – it was still going to be a challenge on all sides.

But from what the group said below, the rest of the crew was on their ship. Crossing her legs, she took the posters out of her bag. The ones from the group missing were Cat Burglar Nami, Demon Child Nico Robin, and Black Leg Sanji. These were the ones that, to her knowledge, didn't know she was on the island (and based on this group's plan to camp out, had no way of finding out unless they spotted her already or sometime in the future).

_I never told myself this would be easy,_ she thought. _Now I gotta get away from these guys and get back on solid ground – then I need to find the shore and find that ship!_ Sanae braced herself for a jump (and cursed that her other shoes had been left of the ship – stupid heels), and began to move through the tree tops of the forest. Once she was a safe distance from Straw Hat Luffy, she began to head for the shore.

Once her business with the Straw Hats was done, she decided she was going to have to find those mutineers and kick their collective asses. Stupid pirates. They had a lot of her stuff – much of which they would probably sell for short money. Assholes. She was also pretty sure they'd gotten a hold of some of her underwear and she didn't want to know what they were going to do with THOSE.

Perverts.

* * *

Feburary 28, 5:00 pm

* * *

While the Straw Hat pirates remained unaware of anyone else but animals and plants on the island and the Iron Butterfly made her move, a third vessel had made its way to the shores of the Wild Isle. With a black scarf and large sunglasses covering her face, a woman stepped onto the shore and looked around. "A Wild Isle – how quaint, isn't it Kenji?"

"Yes, madame," said the swordsman at her side. She turned her full attention to her right hand, Kenji, as she snapped her glasses off and listened to his report. "We've confirmed that Straw Hat Luffy's ship landed here several hours ago – they won't be going anywhere anytime soon based on their lack of movement. We don't know if anyone is on board at this time."

The woman turned on her second hand with a smiled sweetly at him. "Well, I would suggest you find out where that boy and his crew are – I already know you're capable of it, and I don't want to be disappointed in you," she said. She turned away from her right hand and stepped forward. "I've been to this island before. Many times, actually. This is to our advantage."

"Do you have a map?" asked Kenji.

The woman nodded. "Yes, I do – several copies, in fact. I trust that all of you know how to read a map well enough to navigate unfamiliar territory?" she said. He nodded, and called for one of the members still on board to get the maps. "In my day I've come across at least three unique Wild Isles – I've made sure to map the terrain of each one. I'm positive this is one I've been to before. The smells and sounds are too familiar."

The swordsman grinned. "That is a good advantage to have – what have we got?"

"There's an old castle on this island – we can use it in case we run into anything unexpected," she said. She waited for the rest of the crew to exit the boat. "Several of us will make our way to the castle, the rest of you are to find and keep tabs on all of the Straw Hat pirates. I want to know where they all are by this time tomorrow – do you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Good – now we don't need to waste any time explaining things," she said. "As always, I don't want any screw ups – you know how much I HATE screw-ups." She glared at the group in general. "I'm tired on interferences from outside sources – the last several. . . missions. . . almost failed. Though I commend all of you in solving the problems, I don't want any more problems to arise. Am I clear?"

"Of course!"

The woman nodded. "Then let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

Author's Notes

Okay, so Luffy's focus on meat was a bit. . . much. But they are on a food expedition and we all know how one track minded Luffy can be, so. . . anyways. . . I really liked the bit with the squirrel. And so did Chris-kun (who was once again awesome and beta read the chapter for me).

Chapter Two is being a pain in the arse – the good news is I'm working with an outline for this story, so it's very well planned – some of the later chapters already have some work done on them already, so they might come out in much more rapid succession (which, around chapter four or five, I'm HOPING people are going to want to see more and more of).

As you may have noticed, time plays an important role in the telling of this story from here on out. Please let me know if it's working. I'm also curious to see what your opinions on the non-canon characters might be. Tell me anything you think is relevant – I'm very interested in what is and what isn't working for you guys. What do you have questions about? What do you think is going to happen next?

Side Notes: I know Franky's birthday is right around the corner from Sanji's, but it isn't relevant to the story (though it might get a mention later). If you're following the manga, this story, based on chapter 442, would likely go after Enies Lobby but before the next arc (pending the outcome of that arc). I'd also really like to know more about the new ship's layout.

Dixxy


	3. Party of Zero

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter Two – March 1, 3:16 pm

* * *

Despite the cook's odd behavior the day before, everything was running smoothly on the ship. Nami attributed it to the absence of some of the crew's more hyperactive members (their captain included). It was nice just being able to sit out on the deck and have a civilized conversation with Robin without the interference of the male crew members – sans the cook, who provided cocktails and snacks. And compliments. 

"Navigator-san, don't you think we should do something?" asked Robin.

"Hmm?" Nami asked. The conversation had lulled, and she had turned her attention to a book. She had assumed the older woman had done the same, but Robin had a thoughtful look in her eyes that suggested otherwise. "Do something about what? Everything's been fine – is something wrong?"

"Cook-san's birthday is tomorrow," she said.

The navigator shrugged. The cook had made it pretty clear that he didn't want anything – Nami found it odd on a personl level, but she really didn't know enough about Sanji's history. Perhaps the region of North Blue he was from didn't have birthday celebrations, or maybe something Zeff taught him went against the practice. So, in theory, in the best present they could give him was, well, nothing. "Sanji-kun said he didn't want anything," said Nami.

Robin shook her head. "True, but don't you think we should at least thank him for everything he does for us? He treats the two of us like queens – possibly better than either of us deserves – and for what? You take advantage of Cook-san's kindness infrequently and he doesn't get very much in return."

"He probably thinks that he can sleep with one or both of us if he keeps up the loyal servant act" said Nami. She put her book down. "You know, on occasion I'll have a serious conversation with him, but before long he's suddenly back to his horny little self. Don't get me wrong – he's sweet, but sometimes I'm half-tempted to buy him a hooker just to get him out of my hair once in a while."

Robin nearly choked on a laugh. "Navigator-san, that's terrible!"

Nami smiled. "Come one, you know he'd probably like it," she said.

The archaeologist frowned. "I don't think he'd appreciate that."

"Are we talking about the same Sanji-kun?" Nami asked.

"Well, although it is true that Cook-san deeply admires the fairer sex, he also has a lot of respect for them. He was nearly killed back in Enies Lobby because of his chivalry – I don't think he would do anything with a prostitute except perhaps try and help her escape from her employer," Robin pointed out. Nami conceded the point, and the older woman continued. "There isn't much we can do on the ship – he controls the kitchen, although I supposed we could find a way to keep him out long enough to bake a cake."

"Do you know how to bake?" asked Nami.

Robin shrugged. "It can't be that hard."

"Famous last words," Nami said dryly.

"I'm sure if we read one of his cookbooks it'll explain it," said Robin. "I've done a little bit of personal cooking for myself – certainly nothing as spectacular as what Cook-san is able to do – but recipe books aren't that complicated to follow. They tell you what you need and how much you need to make, well, whatever. Although it's true our supplies might be limited, but perhaps if we look around long enough we'll find something we can use."

Nami frowned. "All right, let's say we do decide to do something for our overly amorous friend. It should be something we're good at. Like. . . ah. . . oh! I think there might be some sweets in the hull of the ship – we could dig into those tomorrow. Oh - even though we don't know what it looks like, I could draw some pretend maps of All Blue to hang around the ship! Or we could make little paper fish to hang up so it would look like they were swimming through the ship – maybe we could even have a little party down by the aquarium."

Robin sat up. "I recently discovered a book about the legend of All Blue in the library – I don't think Cook-san knows about it, so perhaps we could wrap it up and give it to him as a present. Certainly it would most likely end up back in the library, but the knowledge that the book is there might be good."

"Sadly, I've already read that book – twice."

Nami and Robin turned their heads to see a rather depressed looking Sanji standing behind them, his arms crossed and a limp cigarette hanging off his bottom lip. He was carrying a pair of cocktails that were decorated to the nines – even by his standards, they were extraordinary. "Nami-san, Robin-chan, I really appreciate the gesture but I don't want the two of you to do anything like that for me. Really, it's fine."

"Are you certain, Cook-san? Tomorrow should be your day," said Robin.

Sanji placed the cocktails on the small table between the women and shook his head. "It's just another day, that's all," he said. He laughed. "As long as I get to spend time with my Nami-swan and Robin-chan I'll be perfectly fine – really. Especially with Luffy and the others gone it'll be a nice change of pace."

"Aw, c'mon, Sanji-kun, it'll be fun!" said Nami. She grinned seductively at him (something she usually only did when she was trying to con him or another hormonal man into something). "For me? Robin and I would really enjoy it. We could sit out on the deck in our swimsuits all day. . . you could cover us in suntan oil. . ."

Sanji calmly shook his head. "The two of you shouldn't exhaust yourselves over me."

The navigator discovered she needed about ten seconds to process what he had just said. Sanji – SANJI, for crying out loud – had refused her. _What. . . the FUCK?_ Nami stared at Sanji in surprise, who quietly told them dinner would be ready in a couple of hours before turning on his heels and returning to the kitchen. Nami turned her head back to Robin, who had a similar expression on her face. Since when does SANJI of all people turn down an offer for two girls to lounge around in skimpy bathing suits all day long?

"That was NOT our Cook-san," said Robin.

Nami frowned and turned her attention to the cocktails. "He pulled out all the stops this time," she said, picking up one of the cocktails. "He always does a nice job, but look at home much detail he put into carving these strawberries to look like flowers." She took a sip. "And I recognize the liquor – it's that really fancy stuff he picked up a few ports ago that he won't let anyone get near."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Navigator-san, I don't like this."

Nami frowned, looking towards the galley. "Sanji-kun. . . is something wrong?"

"Perhaps his birthday harbors a sore spot for him?" Robin asked.

The navigator sighed. "Well, you might be right," she said. "He's only mentioned he's from North Blue once – before that we all just assumed he was from East Blue. And he was on a ship that sank when he was a kid. Maybe he misses someone for North Blue or that ship and he doesn't like spending his birthday without them?" Nami closed her eyes – her birthday was hard without Bellemere-san around (even if she wasn't sure it WAS her birthday).

"That is a strong possibility, Navigator-san," said Robin, crossing her legs and looking over towards the galley. "I remember Miss Wednesday was particularly homesick her first birthday as a member of Baroque Works – perhaps Cook-san misses the restaurant he used to work at?"

"Luffy did say that he and the other chefs had a rather tearful good-bye," said Nami, thinking this over. "From what I gathered about Sanji-kun's relationship with his boss, Zeff was basically a father to him. They both lost everything and didn't have much of a choice but to stay together. They didn't always get along, but the old man means something to Sanji-kun."

Robin stood. "I think it might be best to not push Cook-san on the celebration, but he's hiding something," she said. She took a step towards the galley and folded her arms. "We probably want to look into what it is. I have a very bad feeling about this behavior and we'll want to avoid trouble at all costs."

* * *

March 1, 3:20 pm

* * *

Sanji was supposed to be chopping vegetables, but instead he was crouched on the floor, listening to Robin and Nami talking outside. _They must not be aware how well sound travels in here,_ he thought. He bit his bottom lip, fighting back tears. _I'm a man – I can't let them see me crying. I have to be strong. Even if. . ._

But the girls didn't appear to be ready to confront him, and he relaxed a little. He sat down and leaned against the wall, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag. He wiped the tears with the back of his hand – he'd have to wash them before getting back to cooking. No need to get his tears or cigarette ashes in the food.

He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling, letting the cigarette hang from the corner of his mouth. _I can't let them find out. . . I don't want them to see me like that. . . I wouldn't want any of them to see me like that. . ._ He put out the cigarette on the floor and stood up, looking into his reflection in the back of a frying pan.

For a minute, he saw himself thirteen years earlier – a happy six year old on the eve of his seventh birthday. Sanji smiled at the memory – that really had been the last birthday he'd truly been happy. It seemed like there was nothing wrong with the world on that day. Everyone he knew and loved was there with him.

_And a year later, I was begging the captain of the _Orbit _to give me a job._

Though Sanji decided that he didn't regret a lot of things that happened after getting on that ship, he sometimes wondered what would have happened if his life had taken a different course. He certainly wouldn't have been a sous chef in a fancy restaurant by the time he had reached puberty, and he probably wouldn't have picked up his smoking habit (at least, not at that age). Most likely he wouldn't be a pirate – he'd probably have had some kind of apprenticeship back in North Blue, leading a quiet life, maybe with a young wife by then. Maybe he would have been a cobbler or – as funny as the idea was to him now – he would have enlisted with the Marines.

But that wasn't the way things had happened. Instead, he was now a wanted pirate working as a cook on a ship full of idiots trying to achieve some nearly impossible dreams – his own dream of finding the legendary All Blue included. It was almost laughable, but it was true. That's exactly where he had ended up, and there was little he'd be able to do to change that at this point in his life. Not that he was very interested in it, but it wasn't easy to get a bounty revoked like Zeff had.

He thought back to the days following his and Zeff's rescue from that rock. There had been some Marines on board that ship, and they kept a close watch on his mentor knowing who he was. Sanji hadn't quite understood at first – although both of them were being fed, Zeff's room was kept under heavy lock and key with Marines escorting him everywhere he wanted to go.

Of course, he had realized, they were going to have Zeff formally arrested once they reached a port. He would probably be executed for piracy. Sanji felt sick at the thought – true, he and the old man didn't get along very well, but that man had sacrificed so much for him. Even as a child he knew that he was indebted to that man, and he couldn't let him die like that. He had to do something.

So, unsure if a young child's word would do anything – especially a scrawny little nobody like him, Sanji somehow found the commanding officer of the Marines on board, managed to get an appointment with the man, and pleaded Zeff's case on his hands and knees, begging for the old man's life.

The Marine officer didn't take him seriously at first and probably wanted to have him committed for insanity. But Sanji told the officer everything – how Zeff had gone after him when he went overboard (mentioning the _Orbit_ had been a huge help), how Zeff had given him all the food and made sure they had good coverage of the horizen line to look for ships.

How Red Leg Zeff had cut off and eaten his own leg so that little Sanji wouldn't starve.

Sanji's story had apparently made something with the Marine officer click – he told Sanji that he would work something out, and he felt relieved. There was a chance that Zeff was going to be okay. Sanji wasn't sure what he was going to do, but now at least the old man might be all right.

After a week-long trial, Zeff's bounty was dropped and he was allowed to open the Baratie (albeit under very strict probation). He was also made Sanji's legal guardian, a decision neither of them quite understood, but Sanji guessed it had something to do with re-integrating Zeff into normal society after a life of piracy.

And even though they fought a lot, there was an unspoken agreement that Zeff was a second father to Sanji and Sanji was the son Zeff never had. Once the restaurant began to attract more and more dangerous customers, Zeff began to train Sanji how to fight – he didn't want the kid to get hurt, and with his power significantly reduced because of the incident on the island, it wasn't a bad idea to pass on his fighting style.

But even then things weren't always easy at the Baratie. As a child, many of the new workers wouldn't take Sanji seriously because of his age despite his position as the assistant head chef. When he got older, they took him seriously until they learned that he didn't simply look young – he actually was young. It always took a while for them to accept him as one of the bosses, and it took Sanji a while to learn how to let it go quickly and get back to work.

It was what he had to do to survive. Things were a little different with the Straw Hat pirates – though he felt a closeness to the other chefs – especially Zeff – these were the first real friends he had ever had. Sure he and Zoro fought a lot, but sometimes the two of them would be able to get along very well after a few drinks. He liked to tease Usopp, but the long-nosed marksmen was a fun companion to celebrate with and was probably one of his best friends on the ship. Luffy, despite being a complete idiot at times, was actually a very good captain – he always had a way of knowing what needed to be done right away and just went ahead and did it. Simple, but somehow effective. Sometimes. Chopper and Franky were great to hang out with, too – he would never actually go ahead and cook Chopper and although the crew was still getting used to Franky being one of their crew mates, well, at least it didn't take a few drinks for Sanji to have a civil conversation with the cyborg.

And the ladies. . . oh the ladies! Robin was a smart, sexy, sophisticated woman who was polite if not a little morbid (though he really couldn't blame her, considering all that had happened to her) and was very good about keeping her head in a bad situation – possibly better that Zoro or Nami.

_Nami-san. . ._ Sanji couldn't help himself – Nami was special. There was still something about the busty young navigator that he simply adored. Certainly there was a physical attraction, but there was something completely psychological about her that made his head spin. She wasn't like normal girls – she was more than just pretty. Sanji wasn't quite sure why, but he felt fairly certain that this was a little more than some school-boy crush.

Sanji had a very deep respect for her. She'd lived through a nightmare for a very long time as a part of Arlong's crew, trying desperately to save her village despite almost impossible odds. When she was stick, she still wanted the crew to press onward to Arabasta to help Vivi (and even Sanji had to admit that things would have gone a bit easier there had Nami not gotten sick).

Of course, Sanji didn't think he had much of a chance with her. He laughed to himself. No. Nami probably just saw him as the crew's silly dork of a cook who liked to wait on her hand and foot, and that was probably all she thought he might've been good for. He was her stepping stool, but even so, he didn't care.

Sanji was in love with Nami.

_Then again, I guess that really doesn't matter now, does it? Even if I said to her that I loved her, she probably wouldn't care. She would probably just laugh at me and pat me on the head like some kind of little kid and go on with her day. _Sanji stood up, washed his hands, and got back to work.

* * *

March 1, 3:47 pm

* * *

"Master Kenji!" 

Kenji growled as he stepped forward. He and one of his subordinates were walking through the woods making sure that everything was running smoothly. "Borgat, I would suggest that you keep it down – let's not attract unnecessary attention from anything on this island," he said. "Even if a simple animal were to investigate us, that animal could bring Straw Hat Luffy or any of his crew to us when we aren't ready for them. Learn that - we don't know what a man with a bounty on his head worth three hundred million berries can do."

Borgat, despite being much taller and wider than Kenji, knew better than to argue with him. He was their mistress' second in command, and his authority wasn't to be questioned. "Yes sir," he said. He dropped the large battle axe he'd been carrying over his shoulder and leaned against it as he gave his report. "We've confirmed the location of all eight known Straw Hats – they've split into two groups. Three of them are guarding their ship, and the rest appear to be camping – our best guess is that they're on a hunting expedition."

Well, that made sense."Pirates need to eat as much as the rest of us, I would imagine," said Kenji. He scratched his chin and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. He gripped it tightly and grinned. He closed his eyes and chuckled a little. "Specifically, I want to know more information about our target and his location."

Borgat raised an eyebrow. "I was told about this particular target. Even for you, I'm-"

"Borgat, shut up and just do as your told. It's just another target – got it?"

The larger man frowned. Perhaps Kenji's dedication to his work was why he was the boss' favorite. "I understand," he said. Whatever. Kenji could do whatever he wanted – just as long as he didn't stand between him and his barrel of grog at the end of the day, Borgat really didn't care. "What are our orders until then?"

"Stay AWAY from the target's location – spread yourselves across the island and keep a handful of our men and women at the base in case his crew falls under the delusion that they can stop us – capture and maim any of the Straw Hats who stands in our way, but only kill them if absolutely necessary – we could loose some of the bounty money that way. And don't go looking for a fight – although the Straw Hats would bring a fortune to the members of our group, I'd rather we not risk loosing some of them in the process unless necessary."

"Ah, so we'll be hunting the Straw Hats for their bounties?" asked Borgat.

"If need be. I'd rather stay away from Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro – there's no telling what men with bounties that high are capable of – but the rest you can consider fair game. I'm especially certain the Marine scientists would have a field day dissecting the supposed cyborg on the crew," Kenji said coolly. "And of course the capture of Nico Robin would make us all heroes."

"And you will be. . .?"

"I'll be waiting at our base for our mistress' return," he said. He turned to Borgat and grinned, sending ice up and down the spine of his subordinate. Kenji looked ahead and grinned. "It's been a very, very long time since I've seen our target – twelve years now. It's going to be some reunion."

* * *

March 1, 4:50 pm

* * *

_There it is – the ship of the Straw Hat Pirates._

Sanae stood on the edge of the shoreline, looking at the pirate ship bearing a jolly roger that must have belonged to Monkey D. Luffy and his crew. _I know there's only three of them on that ship. But that won't make this any easier._ She frowned when she saw the distance between the ship and the shore. She grimaced – ah, that was going to be a pain in the ass.

"Oh that's just great," she said. "Now how am I going to get on that boat?" She crossed her arms and stared at the boat incredulously. There had to be a way for her to get on that ship. She looked around – maybe there was a tree branch or something she could use to float over to the boat. Right now she needed to sneak onto the boat without anyone seeing her. Although she was somewhat convinced she could probably handle Burglar Cat Nami (provided she could keep her from calling in reinforcements) without much trouble, the other two would present much greater challenges.

But before she needed to worry about a confrontation with ANY of them, she needed to get on that boat! She sat down on a rock to think. The best thing she could do would be to wait for nightfall anyways – that would make her visibility low and give her some time to plan her next move.

Once she got on the ship things would get really sticky – she was going right into a hornet's nest and she needed to tread carefully to not get stung. Staying out of view would be a good idea. Right now she just needed to make some observations – she needed to know exactly what these pirates were like.

Sanae hadn't gone into this completely blind – she had done a little research by listening to the gossip around some Grand Line taverns to figure out where the Straw Hats were and possibly pick up some stories from other pirates about them. A particularly odd looking fellow with a large red nose had been particularly angry with Straw Hat Luffy – he was a pirate for sure, but he definitely didn't seem like he was an ally of the Straw Hats.

Then again, an attractive female companion of his was more interested in seducing Luffy.

There were also various rumors about Nico Robin's destruction of Marine ships when she was a child, or how the Straw Hats had an as of yet unidentified agent named "Mr. Prince" who specialized in espionage, and how Sogeking's mask was constructed from the bones of some of his former opponents. So many rumors and stories had traveled through the taverns that it was impossible to know what was true and what wasn't, so she decided she would take matters into her own hands and figure it out on her own.

That meant spying on the crew and sorting out the rumors from the truth.

From what she'd seen of the group in the woods, some of it wasn't true. The man she guessed to be "Sogeking" didn't look evil enough to construct a mask of bone, and there had been no mention of a "Mr. Prince". They didn't seem to be very evil pirates, but at the same time they were only with each other – things might change once a potential enemy arrived.

As far as getting on the ship, that would be the real challenge. Though her career as a bounty hunter hadn't been particularly long as of yet, she did realize that some bounty hunters like to swim to a ship, sneak on, and take the crew by surprise. It was a rather effective way to take down a large bounty, especially if you worked as a team. But Sanae was alone, and she had a much bigger problem to worry about.

Sadly, the Iron Butterfly sunk like the first part of nickname.

After all – being unable to swim was the main downfall of eating a Devil's Fruit.

* * *

Author's Notes 

So based on the way things are looking with the spoilers for 443. . . yeah. Definitely takes place before that.

A note on Sanae's Devil Fruit – I know it was probably somewhat obvious she'd eaten a DF from the prologue, but I felt no real reason to hide that anymore (and I felt the need to add length to the chapter). I'm not saying what her ability is until later.

A note on money – I apologize if I keep spelling the currency in the One Piece world differently each time I make mention of it. Hopefully I'll regulate into something over time. Which would rock.

I won't lie – I love getting reviews! So please, by all means, leave me a review!

-Dixxy


	4. Goodbye My Love

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter Three – March 1, 7:32 pm

* * *

Dinner had been quiet but wonderful in a morbid way. Sanji had outdone himself again with three fabulous dishes – two of them Nami readily recognized as her favorite meal and Robin's favorite, but the third was something she'd never tried before. It was, however, very good. It was a chicken soup with tender meat and a brilliantly wonderful broth with just enough seasoning – a seasoning she wasn't familiar with, but it was quite possibly one of the best things she had every tasted."Sanji-kun, what is this soup?"

Sanji, who had been eating but seemed disinterested in the meal, looked up. "Ah, that's a personal favorite of mine – my mother and grandmother used to make it back in North Blue when I was a kid," he said. "It's just chicken with a little bit of saffron to flavor – we had some in the refrigerator that would have gone bad soon anyways. I added some chopped onion and potato as well."

Nami looked at the chicken soup intently. That was the first time Sanji had ever mentioned his family (sans his co-workers at the Baratie, the whole lot of whom Nami considered something similar to Sanji's "family"), or that he'd ever made something he personally liked. Funny, she never thought of Sanji as even having a mother, but here he'd just mentioned the woman.

By now, however, they'd started to play cards at Robin's request. The game was going as could be expected, and was interjected with various stories from the pasts of the three crew members. Currently, Nami was telling stories about some past heists that had gone terribly wrong. In this case, this particular theft had gone very, very. . . wrong.

"Wait, wait, wait – CHICKENS?" asked Sanji.

Nami was laughing. "Yes – lots, and lots, of chickens. They were actually merchants transporting them to a farm and using the jolly roger to hide from the pirates in the area. But those things were everywhere! I just remember people screaming and feathers flying for the next twenty minutes. By the time I got back to my boat I was covered in feathers and I didn't have a single berry for my trouble."

"What happened to the chickens?" asked Robin.

Nami shook her head. "Well, the fiasco did make it to the papers the next day. . ."

Sanji chuckled. "I've got a good farm animal story myself." He cleared his throat. "This one time I was told that, as a promotional idea of Patty's, the Baratie staff decided to serve fresh meat killed right at the restaurant, so we had this pig brought onto the boat. What I wasn't told was that this was actually a sick joke from the minds of Patty and Carne, but I was about fourteen so I bought it – I was pretty pissed when I figured out it was a joke, but at the time I had this pig to deal with."

"So?" asked Nami.

"They greased the pig with lots and lots of soap," said Sanji. He rolled his eyes. "Then they let it loose and told me I had to catch it. So without even thinking that this might have been a joke I took off after it." He leaned back into his chair and crossed his legs. "The customers were mortified, and I just told them it would only take a minute to catch the pig."

Nami slammed her cards down on the table to laugh. "Oh no!"

"That little son of a bitch was FAST," said Sanji. "You wouldn't think it, but pigs can be pretty fast. This one. . . I don't know what they were feeding that pig but I bet I fell flat on my face trying to grab this thing at least a dozen times – my arms and chest hurt for the next two days. Zeff was pretty pissed but eventually some of the customers thought it was a riot."

"How long did it take you to catch it?"

"Three hours. And that was after a couple of men took pity on me and offered to help."

Nami shook her head. "Robin, do you have any funny farm animal stories?"

Robin shook her head. "No, but this is a very amusing conversation."

Nami sighed. "Makes me miss Cocoyashi Villiage a little bit, talking about the past – I'm glad to be here and all, but I still think about Bellemere-san, Nojiko, Genzo, and all the other villagers from time to time. It's nice thinking about the happy times but it's sad, too." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs.

"I didn't know my mother very well, but I do miss her, as well," said Robin.

Sanji sighed. "I miss the Baratie a little, too."  
"What about your birthplace in North Blue, Cook-san?" asked Robin.

Sanji sat up and stared blankly at the table surface. "I. . . I don't think about that much."

Nami leaned forward and rested her head on her arms. "Is everything all right?"

"Uh. . . yeah."

The navigator frowned. "You sure?"  
Sanji closed his eyes to think. "Back in North Blue. . . I was part of a real family. My parents owned their own business – it was like a cross between a book store and a hair salon. People would go in and browse the books, buy them, and then my mom would cut their hair. It wasn't like we were wealthy, but we lived pretty comfortably and we were well liked. I got along well with the neighborhood kids and this old man who lived across the street from us would give us chocolate if we got all the sticks out of his yard. It was a nice place to be a kid."

"Was it just you and your parents?" asked Nami,  
"No, I was second born of three," said Sanji. "Middle child. One on either side." He sighed. "I haven't seen any of them in a very, very long time." He lit a cigarette and leaned forward towards the table. "I really don't think about them very much at all anymore. . . and it sucks." He laughed, looking away. "But it doesn't really matter anymore, does it? I'm a pirate now, right? I'm sailing the high seas. . . I'm wanted. . . they probably wouldn't want me back even if I came crawling."

Nami reached over to touch his shoulder. "Sanji-kun, I'm sure that's not true."

Sanji shook his head. "I was a disappointment. Though after my older brother. . . I couldn't have lived up to that. Akito was a genius – I was smart but I wasn't smart like him. He was able to read by the time he was three and when he was six he was already doing math meant for kids twice his age. I guess I was a little athletic but it took Zeff before any of my real physical potential came out, and by that time I hadn't seen my family in over a year."

"Cook-san. . . how long has it been since you've seen your family?" asked Robin.   
Sanji turned away and took a drag on his cigarette. "Twelve years," he said.

"Why?" asked Nami. "What happened?"

Sanji stood up and politely pushed his chair it. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Sanji-kun, we're your friends! You can tell us anything – we won't get mad!" said Nami.

But the cook refused to look at her. "I'm sorry Nami-san, I just. . . I just can't, okay? I'm sorry." He seemed to be shaking slightly, making it painfully obvious he was really upset about talking about his family. "I. . . I need to be alone for a few hours, okay? Don't try and find me. . . I need to be alone." And with that, he left the galley and slammed the door shut, leaving Nami and Robin in stunned silence.

* * *

_Twelve Years Ago, North Blue_

_The streets of the town were alive with life, and little Sanji looked on in awe. Normally he wouldn't go into town without his mother or father – sometimes his older brother – but today it was just him and his uncle. He had an ice cream in one hand, the older clutched in his uncle's hand. _

_After all, tomorrow was a special day – he was going to be eight years old!_

"_It's too bad everyone else forgot about your birthday," said his uncle. Sanji frowned and nodded, licking the ice cream forlornly. His mommy and daddy hadn't said anything about his birthday, and by now they would have normally asked him what kind of cake he wanted or something. But this year there was nothing, and he was too afraid to ask directly. _

_So it was a good thing that his uncle had found him and told him that he hadn't forgotten about his birthday. So he decided to bring him out into the village for a nice afternoon to get his mind off his forgetful parents. "But you've still got me, right kiddo?" Sanji nodded and smiled nervously._

_It's not that Sanji didn't trust his uncle – he just didn't know him very well. He saw him once in a while if his mother invited him over for dinner, but he was away on business a lot and didn't really talk to him that much. He was a little strange, sure, but at the very least he was proving that no matter how far the distance was between family members, you could still depend on them to pick you up when you were down._

_Sanji's uncle patted him on the back and smiled. "Hey, wanna go down to the docks?"_

"_Yeah!" said Sanji. "I love boats!"_

"_Maybe we can go on one."_

"_AWESOME!"_

* * *

"_Uncle. . . there's no one here," said Sanji. _

_This was sad but true. The area of the docks that his uncle had taken him to was an old, no-longer used area. The sea water was eerily calm from the lack of people swimming or boats moving around, and the whole area kind of smelled funny, too. The wood of the docks wasn't in very good condition, and several areas had broken off and fallen into the water from rotting out. Why would his uncle bring him here to see boats?_

_There was a building that had once housed a ticket office for pleasure travelers to arrange travel for weddings and births and other matters, but it had long since gone out of business – back before Sanji could remember – and was little more than a rickety little shack that the older kids liked to break into thinking they would run into a ghost or a murder victim's body. _

_Strangely, that's where his uncle was taking him._

"_Uncle. . . what's going on?" he asked._

_His uncle looked down at him and smiled – albeit a little creepily. "Sanji, relax – I just want you to meet somebody, that's all." He beat his chest. "Remember, I'm your uncle, and didn't your mother tell you to respect and trust your elders? You know me, and besides – I just bought you an ice cream."_

_Sanji nodded, but something just didn't feel right about all this. . ._

* * *

March 1, 11:50 pm

* * *

Getting onto the Straw Hat's ship had been no easy task, but she'd done it – Sanae was on the deck of the strange looking ship, trying to keep from being spotted by the three pirates on board. She could NOT be seen – she didn't want to even think about what would happen then. _That would be disastrous._

Thinking carefully, she dumped the rope she'd used to board the ship over the side – she cringed when it splashed, but didn't hear the sounds of anyone coming. Perhaps they were all asleep or too occupied with. . . well. . . something pirate-like. . . to notice. _They must think it was a animal that made that noise – still, I'd best not make any more noises or else they might investigate. _

She relaxed for a moment and decided to look around the strange vessel she had boarded. She scratched her head in confusion. Out of all the pirate ships the Iron Butterfly had seen, this one was unlike any other. Sanae had seen ships with fifty cannons on deck, or armories that would make Marine Headquarters jealous, and even a captain who had his own gallows from which he would hang his captives or misbehaved crew. But the ship belonging to Straw Hat Luffy was unlike any of them. _This is no ordinary pirate ship – it looks more like a playground._

That indeed, it did. Instead of a traditional wooden deck, the floor was grass and had several mikan trees taking root. She saw a slide nearby and wondered if there was a swing set on board as well. She was a little confused – what in the world was a pirate worth three-hundred million berries doing with a floating playground? Shouldn't he have canons or a weapon store or something out on deck instead?

But a PLAYGROUND!?

Although after a minute or so Sanae found no sign of weaponry on deck, she did hear a door open. Nearly panicking, she hid behind a lounge chair (once again, a LOUNGE CHAIR!? What kind of crazy crew was this!?) and watched as Black Leg Sanji walked onto the lawn of the ship. Sanae quietly poked her head over the top of the chair to get a better look at the blond man who was walking towards the bow of the ship.

_Sharp dresser for a pirate,_ she noted. He was wearing what looked like black dress pants, nice black shoes, and a button-up white shirt that was in fairly good condition. Certainly not like the pirates she was used to seeing. His hair was neatly kept, and she noted that he looked a lot better than the picture on his wanted poster. Then again, Sanae was pretty sure she could do a better job than whoever the Marines got to do his composite anyways. _They really need to fire that guy or get him a good art teacher._

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Sanae stuck out her tongue – smoking was a repulsive habit (but she did note that the terrible drawing the Marines had provided did include a cigarette). She almost gagged when he stuck not one, but two cigarettes into his mouth and lit them both. _Two at once?Is that normal?_

By the way he was standing and looking around nervously, probably not. She felt a pit in her stomach. He was nervous about something. And for a pirate worth seventy-seven million berries to be that nervous meant that something big was about to go down. Sanae hunted pirates for money, but she knew enough to keep an eye out if a pirate seemed antsy about something – it usually meant a stronger pirate or something worse was on the way.

_So if he's that – NOISE! _Sanae ducked back down when the door opened again – Nico Robin and Cat Burglar came out. She bit her bottom lip – now would be a very, very bad time to get spotted, especially since something bad was on the way. Still, she made sure she had a clear view of the group and watched as the women – clearly worried about their crew mate – went over to him.

* * *

March 1, 11:55 pm

* * *

After Sanji had avoided Nami and Robin for several hours, the women of the Straw Hat Pirates finally decided that something was not right. The cook wasn't himself, and as much as both of the girls realized it might be nice to not have him constantly by their sides and making an annoyance of himself, his recent behavior was rather disturbing. This wasn't the Sanji they knew – this was someone else, and they wanted to know what happened to their overly amorous cook.

Although one would assume that searching for a single person on a ship wouldn't be very difficult, it seemed that Sanji was pre-empting their search – although they had yet to actually see the cook, they saw several recently put-out cigarette butts, clearly letting the girls know that he HAD been there. . . but had successfully gotten away before he could be confronted. He was doing a very good job at not being found.

They didn't find him until it was just several minutes shy of midnight – both women were exhausted with the search, but deep pits of guilt corroding in their stomach were more than enough to make them press on in their search for Sanji. So when they finally saw him, it was a bit of a relief.

Nami was the one who saw Sanji by the bow of the ship. "He looks so sad," said Nami. She looked at the older woman with worry in her eyes. Normally, she didn't mind using Sanji or taking advantage of his kindness, but tonight she felt a tight knot in her stomach that made her feel like something was very, very wrong with the entire evening. "Robin. . . do you think we did something to make him angry?"

"I don't know, Navigator-san," said Robin. She lowered her eyes as the two slowly began to approach him. "But Cook-san doesn't get angry with us very easily. No matter what we do. Unless, of course, the mention of his family in North Blue made him upset. Perhaps it made Cook-san so emotional that he didn't want us to see him in a state of weakness."

Nami frowned, thinking about how strongly Sanji kept to his code of chivalry. Robin was right – it wasn't very likely that the cook was angry with either of them, unless he finally got fed up with their indifference to his gestures, or they had hit a sore spot when they mentioned his family. _I probably should be a lot nicer to him every time he makes us a special drink or dessert,_ she thought.

When they got closer to the cook, Nami saw a serious red flag when she observed Sanji smoking two cigarettes at once while looking out at the horizon line. Even though everyone on board knew he was a heavy smoker, no one had ever seen him smoke quite like this before. _He's scared shitless over something – but what?_

"I never did find it," he said.

"What are you talking about, Cook-san?" asked Robin.

Sanji didn't turn to look at either woman. "All Blue. I never found it."

Nami felt a cold shiver run through her body. "Sanji. . . none of us have accomplished out dreams yet – Zoro's not ready to face Miwhawk, Chopper still hasn't found his panacea, I'm not ever remotely close to completing my map of the world, Robin hasn't found the true history, the ship isn't at the end of the Grand Line yet and no one knows anything about One Piece at all! Even Usopp's stunt as Sogeking hasn't made him into the brave warrior he wants to be yet. Are you just giving up on your dream? The whole reason you left the Baratie?"

"I'm never going to find it," he said flatly, taking a deep drag on the cigarettes. He blew out the smoke through his nostrils, turning his head to look at the girls. He gave them a weak smile. "But. . . I think I might be okay with that. I gave it my all, trying to find that sea. I just hope Zeff learns the truth someday."

Nami's mouth fell agape as she watched Sanji snuff out the two cigarettes, turning his body to fully face the women before him. The navigator flung herself at the cook, grabbing his shoulders and glaring at him. "Sanji-kun, what the HELL is wrong with you today!? You're not behaving like yourself and it's scaring me! You're more extravagant then usual today, you want nothing to do with your birthday, and now you're suddenly giving up on the dream you've had since you were a little boy!? Sanji-kun, please, tell us what's wrong!"

"Are you in trouble, Cook-san?" asked Robin, taking a step forward. Sanji's visible eye went wide and he turned away, refusing to answer her. "So. . . you are in trouble with someone, aren't you? Care to tell us who or what you've gotten yourself into trouble with?"

Sanji stared down at his feet. "All I'm going to say is that I'm glad I had the chance to know you both, Nami-san, Robin-chan. I care about you both a lot and I hope nothing bad ever happens to either one of you ever, ever again. I don't want another Arlong to hurt Nami, and I don't want Robin to loose her family again. These past several months getting to know two girls as beautiful as you two has been paradise and far more than I could have ever asked for. I enjoyed making you special drinks and snacks every day. . . and even though you might have not always needed it, I liked being the one to protect you all, even if in the end you might've been the ones who were protecting me. Thank you."

"Sanji. . ." said Nami.

"And Nami-san?" Sanji said. He lowered his head so she couldn't see his eyes, but she could hear a quiver in his voice. "I know. . . that I chase after a lot of women. And I know you probably think I'm some kind of womanizer who couldn't settle down with any one woman. I know that's what it looks like. . . I've told countless women I'm in love with them, but in the end you're the only one I've ever truly loved."

Nami wasn't sure what to say until Sanji lifted his head and looked into her eyes. And suddenly, she KNEW that he was serious – the one eye she could see told her all she needed to know. The sincerity and desperation in his eyes were real. He wasn't the lovesick flake with hearts in his eyes that Nami was used to whenever Sanji went girl crazy. Right now he was serious – he was actually declaring his love to her.

But Nami saw something else in Sanji that frightened her – desperation. It was almost as if Sanji thought this was his last chance to say anything he wanted to say to them. But how was that even possible? They still had such a long way to go on their journey. . . why now, of all days?

_Unless. . . does Sanji think he's leaving us?_

"Nami-san. . . Robin-chan. . . can I be alone for a little bit, please?" he asked.

"Why?" asked Nami.

Sanji gulped. "I can't talk about it."

Nami turned back to Sanji, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Sanji-kun, if there's anything going on, you can talk to us about it – we're your friends. Robin and I will help you if you're in trouble, even if we can't – we'll find a way. We're _nakama_ – practically family. You've been acting strange since Usopp wished you a happy birthday and Robin and I don't like it. Please – tell us what's wrong!"

Sanji made an attempt to back away from Nami, but instead bumped into the railing of the ship. He looked at Nami like she was some kind of forbidden fruit, not used to the redhead advancing on his like she was now. "Nami-san. . . please. . . you don't know what you're getting yourself into. . ."

"Sanji-kun, what's wrong with you!? It's just a birthday! Is that what it is? So what? The first digit of your number age is going to change? You're not going to officially be a teenager anymore!? It doesn't matter! Why are you acting like everything's suddenly about to change!"

"BECAUSE IT IS!" he yelled. This, Nami noted, was the first time Sanji had ever actually yelled at the girls. "Everything's about to change and you can't possibly understand why! Damn it, Nami, I love you and I don't want you to see what's about to happen to me!" And with that, he threw a hand over his mouth.

"Sanji-kun. . . what the FUCK are you so scared over!?" asked Nami.

Sanji shook his head, and now he was near tears for real. "Nami-san. . ."

"Sanji-kun, if you love me as much as you say you do then tell me what's wrong!" Nami cried, clutching the fabric of his shirt. "Damn it, Sanji-kun! You're acting like you're dying on us and it's not fair! If you're sick then we'll get Chopper! If you're being hunted by someone we'll all work together to help you fight them! If you're lost then I'll find you and lead you back to safety! We're all your _nakama_ and we give a damn about what happens to you!"

"Of course I know that, and I give a damn about all of you! Even that stupid marimo!" Sanji yelled. He looked so upset. . . and Nami was in a panic trying to figure out what was wrong. But he wasn't giving them any help. "And that's why. . . that's why I don't want you to see me like this!"

Nami sighed. "Sanji? I'm going to shut you up now and then I'm going to give you a piece of my mind. You're acting like a lunatic right now, so just shut up!" With that, Nami grabbed his shoulders harder and pulled his upper body down, closing her eyes as she prepared to kiss the cook.

And then. . . Sanji wasn't there anymore.

* * *

Author's Notes

The second half of this chapter was originally supposed to be chapter four, but I decided to condense the two chapters into one. Based on the way things are going, that might happen a lot (which will benefit you, the readers, because stuff gets out faster).

Part of this chapter was written back on July 30, 2006 – the eve of my twentieth birthday.

The next part is probably going to be on the short side. I want the next chapter to be very focused and there's only so much I can do with this one event before it gets to be too. . . much.

Dixxy


	5. Elizabeth Stoker

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter Four – March 2, Midnight

* * *

Nami stared at the space where Sanji should have been in confusion. How could he just disappear like that? She turned to Robin, who looked just as baffled as she did. "Robin. . . Sanji-kun was just here. Standing right in this spot. Right here. And now he's. . . not here. So. . . where did he go?"

"I. . . don't know," said Robin.

"My, my, that was a close call!"

Nami and Robin turned around, and the navigator's eyes widened in fear and recognition. Sanji wasn't moving, his body being supported by a strange woman with a demonic grin on her face and a form-fitting violet red dress with a slit up the center, through which the girls could see a strange tattoo that took up most of her thigh.

"I must apologize for not coming invited, darlings, but I have some business with this young man, you see," she said. She grinned, placing a hand on her hip. "And I'm afraid that I need him immediately, so if you'll excuse us we'll be heading off, now. It's nothing personal, I assure you."

Nami wasn't paying much attention to what the woman was saying so much as what the woman looked like. In particular, how familiar the woman was. "That woman. . ." said Nami. Little by little, the pieces began to fall into place, and realization dawned on her. She fell to her knees, placing her hands on her head. "You're not real!"

The woman laughed. "I feel quite real, thank you very much. I'm standing right before you, my dear – don't deny what your eyes are telling you to be true." She hefted Sanji's body over her shoulder. Robin began to take a few steps forward, but the woman held out her hand. "I would advise not getting any closer, my dearies."

"Navigator-san, do you know this woman?" Robin asked. "And who are you?"

The woman smiled. "I'm sure you've heard of me – my name is Elizabeth Stoker."

The mention of the name nearly sent Robin to the ground. "You. . . you DO exist?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You would think that people would stop denying a person's existence once the World Government places a bounty on their head, or do people act surprised when the Demon Child is standing before them?" she asked sarcastically. "If I had a berry for every time someone has said that to me. . ."

Robin got angry. "If there are any monsters among men. . . you are one of them."

The woman frowned. "How harsh – I'm most certainly crushed."

"Harsh?" asked Nami. She looked up at the woman and glared. Even though she was scared, she was getting more angry with how aloof Elizabeth was being about the entire thing than anything else. "Robin's right – you're a MONSTER! All you do is hurt people, and for what?"

"Ooo, now that's now very nice – or correct," said Elizabeth. "I do have a handful of mercenaries and bounty hunters under my employ – I make sure they're well compensated for their services, so I haven't hurt any of them." She grinned. "A few of them are on this island to make sure your captain and the rest of your crew stays out of our business. . . but I might be willing to contend with the two of you."

Robin crossed her arms. "Elizabeth Stoker is the woman who ate the Life Life Fruit – one of the three Devil Fruits classified as an Angel of Death Fruit," she said. "Because many Devil Fruit users work for the World Government, it's not normal for them to assign a bounty simply because someone ate a Devil Fruit. But for her fruit, it's a completely different story.

"There are three Devil Fruits classified as Angel of Death Fruits, and just eating one of them is considered a crime because of how dangerous they are. Life Life, Breathe Breathe, and Love Love. All bearing names with a deceptive reality – almost all toil with the dead. The only fruit that deals with the dead that is NOT labeled as an Angel of Death fruit is the Yomi Yomi no Mi, but only because it affects just the person who ate it. In the case of the woman standing before us, her power is eternal life. . . but in order to sustain that eternal life, the price is other human lives," said Robin. "More specifically, the lives of children."

"Children? She has to KILL CHILDREN?" asked Nami.

Robin shook her head. "Not right away. She has to mark them first and then they have twelve years – twelves years without contacting anyone they knew before being marked, twelve years without telling anyone they meet that they have a mark." She turned to Sanji. "That's why Cook-san hasn't seen his family in twelve years – because he couldn't."

The night in the orange grove came back to Nami's mind, and suddenly it all made sense. Elizabeth Stoker was trying to trap Nojiko and Nami into her little tangled web – that's why Bellemere-san wouldn't have been able to see them again. Stoker would have tried to mark her and her sister, and the two of them would have been forced to wander the world – probably without even each other – for twelve lonely years. It explained so much about her childhood nightmares that Nami wasn't sure what to do with this information.

"So that's why. . . all those years ago. . . you came after me and my sister," said Nami.

Elizabeth grinned. "Ah yes, I remember you – you were one of those delicious looking little girls in the orange grove. Too bad that punk woman with the shot gun had to show up – either one of you would have done wonders for my complexion. So young and supple. . . you would have been perfect."

Nami growled at the mention of Bellemere. "How dare you insult Bellemere-san!?"

Elizabeth Stoker rolled her eyes. "As I've said before, I'm not afraid to contend with the two of you. I have no reason to kill you if you're smart and stay away – if you'd like I can even return his body to you when I'm finished with it – do what you'd like with his corpse," she said cooly.

Nami froze. "Sanji's. . . dead?" she asked.

"Not yet – he's still breathing," said Elizabeth. Sure enough, his back was slowly rising and falling – he was definitely alive. "I am required to give them a chance to get away – a task they must complete within the twelve years. They complete the task? I leave them alone and they can do as they please. But if they fail. . . they're mine." She gestured to the cook. "Your little friend here failed, and now he's mine."

The navigator shook her head. She reached under her skirt and quickly assembled her weapon and pointed the Perfect ClimaTact at Elizabeth Stoker. "I won't let you hurt my friend!"

"She can't – not for a few more days, anyways," said Robin. "If Sanji had been alone just now, she would have been able to drain him on the spot and we would have found his lifeless corpse on the ship without any explanation. But since we were here when she showed up. . . we have three days to help him complete his Mercy Task."

Elizabeth Stoker laughed and held out the arm not holding Sanji. A weasel crawled out from behind her neck. "Of course you dearies can complete our dear Sanji-kun's Mercy Task. . . if you can find him, that is." She turned to the weasel. "GLOBIN! Get us out of here – QUICKLY!"

The little weasel began to glow purple, and Nami knew it had eaten a Devi Fruit as well. She panicked and dropped her weapon, choosing to run towards Sanji instead. "Sanji-kun! SANJI-KUN!" She reached out her hand, trying to get to him.

The sound of Nami's cries were just enough to wake Sanji. He was clearly a little groggy, but he reached his hand out towards Nami anyways. "Na. . mi. . .san" he said weakly. By now, Elizabeth, Sanji, and the weasel were slightly purple and see-through as the navigator approached.

Nami took a leap and reached out towards his hand. Robin was shouting after her, unable to grab either her or Elizabeth Stoker with her Devil Fruit's power – he hands passed right through the Life Life user's body, affecting neither her nor Sanji. "Nami!" Robin cried, falling to her knees. "If you get near her you might not come back!"

Even though Robin had, for once, used Nami's name, her words fell on deaf ears. For a brief instant, Nami felt her fingertips touch Sanji's, but almost as soon as they touched, there was a burst of purple smoke, and the navigator landed on the grassy deck of the ship. She clenched her eyes shut in frustration, grasping at the grass beneath her.

"Navigator-san. . ."

"Sanji-kun. . ." Nami whispered. She gripped the grass tighter and began to scream.

* * *

Author's Notes

I realize this was a rather short chapter (but as Kago, my wonderful roommate, has put it, it works rather well this way - she compared it to a gunshot to be specific because of how quick it is), but there isn't much else I could put into this chapter. Maybe next chapter will be extra long?

Fun fact: Originally I was going to give Nami and Robin a week to find Sanji, but after getting into the story and planning out the events I realized that there were several flaws with that plan.

Elizabeth Stoker's name was derived from two sources. Her last name is a reference to Bram Stoker, the author of _Dracula_. Her first name comes from Elizabeth Bathory, the "Blood Countess". She was a serial killer who, according to legend would bathe in the blood of her victims for youth and beauty. Wikipedia pretty much told me she didn't actually do that, but it's still an interesting story.

As compensation for the short chapter, I've got some fanart of Elizabeth Stoker, Kenji, and Sanae online. Check my profile for the links – it's deviantART, so feel free to comment on the artwork there. Here's some comments on each other pictures:

**Elizabeth**: I got some help on her character design from my lovely roommate, who we'll call Kago. We tried to make her look as evil as possible, and this is what we came up with – we've also decided that she probably has a different outfit every time she appears, so there might be more drawings of at least her dresses in the future. The mark on her leg is the same mark she uses as a Garnish on her victims, only this tattoo is much larger than the Garnish used on her victims. I've only drawn it a few times, so if it looks a little different each time you see it that's why. And no, that's not a typo – she's really worth ten billion berries (hey, if I was in charge of bounties I would put a lot of money on the head of an immortal serial killer who preys on children).

**Kenji:** I don't draw older characters that often, and I used Aimee's parents on Futurama as a reference for where to put some of the aging lines. I think he looks older, though maybe a little older than what I originally wanted. The red stain on the sword will get explained in the next chapter, and his sword is quite important, which is one reason why I put it in. There won't be too much mystery behind this character by the end of the next chapter.

**The Iron Butterfly**: She almost looks like she belongs in CP9 with that outfit. The black bands on her arms can be used as shields (as can the metal ring, which is a circular blade and her primary weapon). Her bounty estimate is based on how I've perceived her overall abilities, including her Devil Fruit.

**All: **At least some edits and all texts were added using Adobe Photoshop Elements. The majority of the coloring was done with Prismacolor markers (some things were added or edited in APE), although some of the black and the outlining was done with a Faber Castell marker.

-Dixxy


	6. Unwelcome Guests

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mour

* * *

Chapter Five – March 2, 1:00 am

* * *

Nami stared at the clock on the wall and curled up tighter around the pillow. She should probably be getting some sleep, but the events of the evening kept running through her mind. She clenched her eyes shut and sniffled. _I know what happened wasn't my fault, but why does it feel that way?_

After Sanji had been kidnapped by Elizabeth Stoker, Robin decided the best plan of action would be to get some sleep and try to figure out where their friend had been taken in the morning. "We won't do Cook-san any favors if we're wandering around the island exhausted – if we need to fight, we'd best do so at the top of our game, and if we're to search, we'd best do that with our eyes open."

Nami wasn't sure how Robin was doing, but instead of going to her own room and her own bed, the navigator had found herself curled up on the top of Sanji's bed, cuddling with one of his pillows and feeling guilty over what had happened. Right now, she felt an overwhelming urge to be near anything that had to do with him. Since she didn't want to sleep in the kitchen, his bed was the next logical choice.

She buried her face into the pillow and breathed deeply – she could smell Sanji on the pillow. Cigarettes, seafood, and a hint of wine. It was almost as if she was breathing into his shoulder or he was in the room with her, and she felt her stomach hurt – the guilt was terrible. _I should have been better to him._

Nami didn't think she was in love with Sanji like he was with her – and considering his final "I love you" was, in his eyes, a last confession, it probably wasn't his normal "love cook" thing – but she did consider him a close friend, just like everyone else on the ship. Certainly his behavior could get a little annoying, but even if it was for all the wrong reasons, he was always on her side and quick to defend her. And sometimes she was able to talk to him and he didn't start going crazy on her – and those times were nice. Love or not, Sanji was her friend, and right now that was what she was focused on getting back. They'd deal with his confessions of love later – right now she needed to make sure that he had a later.

It was almost like her childhood nightmare had come true. The woman who haunted her dreams had appeared out of no where and kidnapped one of her friends – someone who hadn't been able to escape the fate that Bellemere-san saved her and Nojiko from all those years ago. It wasn't her who had been taken away, but the pain and fear was immense. This was why Sanji hadn't seen his family in so long – he had no choice but to keep running.

This was why he was on the _Orbit_ as a little boy.

This was another reason why he stayed with Zeff.

Inwardly, Nami wondered if Sanji's desperation for a bounty had something to do with his victimization – it wouldn't be the best way to do it, but it was possibly the only way he had of letting his friends and family in North Blue know he was alive. _He must think it's better they know he's an alive pirate than think he's a dead child. Even if they shun him or hate him or fear him. . . he wants them all to know that he's out there and that, for a while, he was okay._

She heard a knock on the door and sat up. "Robin?" she asked.

The door opened and Robin poked her head in, then stepped inside once she spotted the navigator. She had a frown on her face and Nami feared the worst. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Elizabeth Stoker is not the only stranger who was on the ship this evening. I believe we had another intruder."

Nami bolted upright. "What?!"

Robin sat down on Sanji's bed and crossed her legs. She had a book in her lap, but focused on the intruder first. "I watched someone get off the ship – used rope to get from the _Thousand Sunny_ to the beach, so they were either avoiding making a loud sound when they hit the water, or they're a Devil Fruit user. Regardless, I couldn't tell if this was one of Stoker's minions or not, but I believe it's the former because they didn't do anything when Stoker showed up – if I am correct, we have a third party in play."

Nami grimaced. "That's not good."

"No, it isn't," said Robin. "However, it's difficult to say who they are and why they're here. This is a Wild Isle – Eternal Poses can't point to them and they attract ships sporadically. That said, there's a chance I'm wrong, but it does prove that it's not just us and her on this island anymore."

"Did you get a good look at them?" Nami asked.

"I think it was a female but it's dark and they were wearing dark clothing."

The navigator lowered her head. "Things just keep getting worse, don't they?"

Robin sighed. "There's not much we can do about that now – if that person was a third party, we'll need to deal with them if they decide to show themselves to us. But for now, I do have some information." She tapped the book in her lap, and Nami moved next to Robin. "This book gave a rather detailed explanation of all three Angel of Death fruits, and I thought that it might be useful in helping Cook-san escape from Stoker."

"I thought you were asleep."

"I thought you would have gone to your own bed."

Nami didn't acknowledge the statement. "What did you find out?"

"The Angel of Death fruits are similar to all other Devil Fruits in that their users cannot swim, are weakened by sea stone, and only one of each fruit can exist at any given time. However, this is where the similarities end," she said. "The fruit Cook-san has fallen victim to recquires the user to kill others."

Nami nodded. "How does the Life Life fruit work?"

"The user of the Life Life fruit may be able to attain eternal life including immunity to poisons, physical injury, aging, and disease provided they can drain the life energy from others," said Robin. "Everyone will one day die – assuming a person does not get sick or is mortally wounded, they will die of old age. The natural time they have left is what Stoker steals – essentially, a person dies of old age before they even live to see my age.

"The trick is that removing this time is not easy – it's secured to the soul very, very closely and it takes something wicked to loosen it. That's what the Garnish is for and why it takes so long – the Garnish spends twelve years loosening the time from the body of the victim and when twelve years is up, it's severed enough from the soul that the Life Life user can consume it, killing the victim and making her life longer."

"Then she goes after children because they have more life left than someone older."

"That, and the Garnish doesn't work on anyone older than twelve years old – this is why the two of us are, relatively speaking, 'safe' from Elizabeth Stoker – at least as far as her Devil Fruit goes," said Robin. "The Mercy Task is the only thing that can re-tighten the time to the soul – even if we were to somehow kill Stoker, Cook-san would perish anyways."

"What about the three days?" asked Nami.

Robin sighed. "Because the Mercy Task is what drains the time from the victim," she said. "For example, if the task was to drink sea water, then the victim would need to drink sea water on their own. If they are unable to do it in twelve years, then Stoker would force-feed sea water down the throat of the victim, killing them instantly – however, technically someone else could perform the Mercy Task shortly after time ran out if they got to the victim before Stoker does. The three extra days kick in if the soul senses kindred souls nearby when they're about to face the Life Life user – because we were nearby when Cook-san ran out of time, his soul was able to reattach some of that time – not a lot, but enough to keep Stoker from harming him for another three days."

"The running away thing?"

"Because being near anyone he knew before hand will make him sick and weak – it would eventually kill him, but the effect wears off once the Mercy Task is completed," said Robin. "This doesn't happen with people they meet AFTER being Garnished, however – but if he told them about it, then that person would emit the same energy as someone he knew from before."

"Then we can't even get close to him because we know about it!?" said Nami.

Robin shook her head. "Stoker told us – Cook-san was unconcious."

"So we can still save him," said Nami. "But we're running out of time."

Robin placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "We will find him, Navigator-san," she said, giving Nami a reassuring hug. "This crew doesn't give up when one of their own is in trouble – if I could be rescued from Enies Lobby, then we can rescue Cook-san from Elizabeth Stoker."

"Thanks, Robin," said Nami. She leaned in towards the older woman and rested her head on her shoulder, eventually falling asleep. Robin gently laid her down on the cook's bed and stepped away. On a second thought, she grabbed a throw blanket hanging off the edge of a chair and gently draped it over the navigator. She calmly sighed and snuggled into the blanket.

_She'll be all right. . . for now._

* * *

March 2, 7:20 am

* * *

_. . . urgh. . ._

Sanji felt like he had a really bad hangover – even worse than the time he'd foolishly tried to outdrink Nami AND Zoro in a drinking contest. And that had been a terrible day indeed. Plus, his arms hurt and he wasn't sure why. _I don't remember having anything to drink. . . what happened again?_

He heard the sound of humming and recognized the voice. That was the voice of Elizabeth Stoker. Inwardly, Sanji groaned. _Oh. Right. But. . . why am I not dead yet? Shouldn't she have killed me already? I don't think this is the afterlife but. . . Nami-san! Robin-chan! They were there, too!_ He grimaced. He really hadn't wanted them to see that.

Sanji opened his eyes and saw a very blurry room with a very blurry Elizabeth Stoker sitting in a chair nearby. He blinked a few times and looked up – his wrists were tied to a rope hanging from the ceiling, and because he'd fallen unconscious (but when had that happened?) all of his weight was being supported by the rope. Sluggishly, he tried to regain his balance and stand up – this was enough to get the woman's attention.

"Ah, I see you're awake," she said. Elizabeth Stoker walked over and reached her hand towards his head – Sanji tried to get away, but the ropes kept him in place as she moved the hair over his left eye out of the way. He felt a panic deep within his stomach – he hated having that THING exposed! "The Garnishes always look so pretty when they're ripened."

"I've had to hide it from the world for twelve years," Sanji said through his teeth.

"Aw, come now – it's not so bad."

"For you."

Elizabeth grinned and stroked his chin. "You've grown so much – it's amazing how much a child grows in twelve years. You've got hair on your chin and your voice is so much deeper than it used to be." She touched his arm. "And those arms! So muscular!" Even though Sanji squirmed to get away, she continued to inspect him. He clenched his eyes shut – almost any other woman in the world he would have been fine with, but her? Sanji felt sick to his stomach. "And your chest! Your legs! Your butt! You're in such peak condition!" Elizabeth grinned sadistically. "It's a shame that no woman has gone near you, isn't it?"

Sanji snapped his eyes open and turned bright red. Elizabeth laughed, completely delighted at making him so on edge. He glared at her and tried to look as threatening as someone could when they were tied up like he was (and still incredibly embarrassed). "Nami-san and Robin-chan are going to find me – they're going to find our captain and they're all going to stop you before you can hurt any more children," he said. "They're my friends – my nakama – they won't abandon me!"

_Well, the Marimo head might, but she doesn't need to know that. . ._

"Ah, that may be true. . . but can they find you? How do you know my associates won't kill them first?" she said. Sanji's eyes widened, but he shook his head. "No? You think they can take them? All because of the bounties you've gotten yourselves? Well, isn't that interesting. You think that your little crew can handle my men and women – that's just adorable. I'm worth much more than your entire crew combined and with good reason. The World Government might not like my Devil Fruit and gave me a bounty simply for that, but I think I'm definitely worth the ten billion berry price tag after all the work I've done."

"You don't know what they're capable of," he said. "Luffy brought down Enies Lobby!"

"The rubbery kid?" She snorted. "Please. He doesn't seem too bright."

Sanji had to admit that was true, but he wasn't done arguing his point. "So what if he's dumb? He's really, really tough. He's worth three hundred million for a reason – once he finds out what's going on, he won't stop until he kicks your ass. He might not be a genius or anything, but he cares about his crew enough that he'll go to any length to hurt anyone who tries to hurt us. That's why we invaded Enies Lobby – one of our own was in trouble and we weren't going to let anything bad happen to her! We risk our lives for each other! Don't tell me you think Luffy wouldn't do the same for me? He's my captain and he's my friend. He's not going to leave me here."

"If he realizes you're gone."

Sanji glared at her. "Nami-san and Robin-chan were there – they know you have me."

"They also know they have less than three days to find you – this island is big enough that they'll have enough trouble locating you, never mind the rest of your crew. As it is, however, I do have a minion keeping an eye on them to make sure no such chance meeting takes place between the girls and the rest of your crew."

Sanji's eyes widened. "Your minion?"

Elizabeth shrugged rolled her eyes. "Oh please – this isn't a one woman operation. I have several employees working for me – they collect bounties, find children for me, take care of pesky people who might try to stand in my way, keep an eye on my businesses . . . I'm not doing this by myself," she said.

The cook felt himself get angry, but resisted kicking Elizabeth Stoker – she was within kicking distance – his legs were certainly long enough to reach her – but he couldnt bring himself to do it. _No. Even if she's a monster. . . she's still a woman. I can't break my promise. I just. . . UGH!_ Sanji felt even more powerless than he would have expected at this point. As strong as he was, as dangerous and smart as he was. . . he was like a kitten in her presence.

Elizabeth Stoker looked Sanji up and down, evidently unmoved by his speech. "Aren't you 'Black Leg Sanji'? Don't you fight with your legs? Why aren't YOU trying to kick my ass?" She stepped forward, eying him with suspicion. "I'm a bit surprised – usually the Garnished have taken a few swipes at me – all you've tried to do is back away." She grinned. "Are you that afraid to strike me? Or is your bounty an exaggeration?"

"I didn't get a price on my head for beating up girls. I don't kick women." Sanji closed his eyes and shook his head. "No matter how much I despise you and hate you and want to never see your face ever again, I promised myself that I will never again strike a woman. Even if it means I forfeit my life."

"Again?" she asked, grinning.

Sanji looked away. "It's none of your business."

She laughed. "You amuse me."

"You disgust me."

Elizabeth shrugged and turned away. "I'm getting bored with you now, but fear not. You have a guest waiting to see you. I'll leave the two of you alone." She stepped out of the room and closed the door. Sanji stared at the door in confusion. _A guest?_ Certainly it wasn't going to be Luffy or Nami or any of the other Straw Hats, but who was his "guest"?

* * *

March 2, 7:26 am

* * *

As his mistress left the room, Kenji stood, gripping the sword at his side as he stood up. Sanji hadn't noticed him yet, which was fine by him. He was just well aware that he was going to want to keep a good distance from the soon to be irate young man. Still. . . he was interested to see what Sanji had grown up to be.

He was tall, just like his father, and a bit skinny, much like his mother. He had his mother's hair and his father's eyebrows. He looked a little like his paternal grandfather – minus the crazy eyebrows, of course – but it was interesting to see what the little child he hadn't seen for twelve years had grown up to be.

_A pirate. Ha. Gotta hand it to you, kid – seventy-seven million isn't shabby._

Kenji cleared his throat. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Sanji's body froze for an instant, and Kenji grinned. Second later, he spun around (the rope was just long enough for Sanji to be able to do so) and glared at him. "You! You stinking son of a bitch!" As expected, Sanji tried to lunge for him, but the rope kept him in place. Of course, the rope wouldn't matter much – just being near him was enough to put the prisoner's life in danger, so the visit would have to be short.

Kenji shook his head and frowned. "That's not a nice way to refer to your grandmother."

Sanji growled. "If she knew what you did. . . she would have disowned you." He struggled against the rope, but still couldn't get any closer. Kenji laughed at him, slapping his knee. "You stopped being my uncle the day you sold me out to that woman! I trusted you! You took me away from my parents and brought me to that monster all for what? A bag of money? For your own nephew? Even if it wasn't me you did this to I would still think you were a sick son of a – ooo. . . my head. . ." Sanji slumped forward – concious, but clearly feeling ill. Kenji started to laugh as his nephew looked up at him. "So. . . this is what she meant by not being able to see anyone. . ."

"Correct – you were wise to take that advice," he said. He grinned, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Now, my dear nephew, I won't be able to stay much longer because my mistress does need you alive. . . but I think it would be wise of me to stay long enough to weaken you."

"Fuck you." _Hmph. He's lively enough to swear. Lovely._

Kenji clucked his tongue. "That's no way to speak to your elders – what have these pirates been teaching you?" Sanji continued to glare at him, but Kenji just shrugged it off and paced a bit. "We haven't seen each other for a long time – aren't you at all interested in telling me what you've been doing?"

"Shut up."

"You were worth quite a bit of money – back then, I mean," he said. He sat down a good distance away from his nephew (who still looked rather ill – now he was slightly pale and seemed to be sweating), crossing his legs took a drink from a hip flask. "I didn't originally intend to go after my brother's kids, but I really didn't have much of a choice. Do you realize how hard it is to get a kid away from their parents long enough for them to meet with Elizabeth?"

"Die."

Kenji ignored Sanji's insults. "I wanted to let you know that aside from your little ragtag pirate friends, you really don't have anything to live for," he said. "I mean really – you're pirates. Did you honestly think you'd be able to do anything with yourself after that? You threw your life away the day you joined them, you know."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean I have nothing to live for?" he said.

"Oh, you MUST know about what happened to your parents!"

"Of course I know! Did you have something to do with that!?" Sanji snapped.

Kenji shrugged and shook his head. "Nope. But I do know that they were looking for you when the accident happened." Sanji paled at the revelation that he had inadvertently caused his parents' untimely deaths. _Such a horrible accident. . . _and now he was going to spend what little time he had left blaming himself.

Sanji looked up at his uncle in defeat. "But, the articles in the papers said they were survived by two of their children," he said. There was a slight glimmer of hope in his eyes. Kenji closed his own – he would have to put an end to that. "I know by then everyone thought I was dead but they were alive. I might have a bounty but I still have them."

"As for your precious siblings. . ." He drew the sword from its sheath, and Sanji's eyes went wide. "See the blood stain on this sword?" he said. Sanji nodded – he was beyond stupefied as the realization dawned on him. "The metal this blade is crafted from needs to be washed immediately if it comes in contact with blood, or it will stain. It's still a magnificent sword, but this blood?"

Horror lit up on Sanji's face. "You. . . you couldn't. . ."

Kenji grinned. "It's Akito's."

* * *

Author's Notes

Although it's true that even at this point Sanji has his intense code of chivalry, he is okay with OTHER people kicking a woman's ass – I'm kind of using Enies Lobby (the whole Califa thing) as my reasoning, and I'm pretty sure he was okay with Luffy's fight with Vivi (that or Sanji is good about listening to his captain).

A lot of fine-tuning went on with Robin's explanation of the Life Life fruit to Nami – the most BASIC explanation was what I had in mind before – i.e. "something bad" happens if Sanji talks about his problem or goes crying to his folks – now it works so that he would die.

There had to be some final decisions on my version of Sanji's family tree and pedigree this chapter – mostly because, one, Kenji also has the curly eyebrow, ergo, he must be the brother of the parent Sanji inherited that trait from. I actually did make up a pedigree for Sanji using Photoshop (sigh I will be very sad when my trial version runs out. . . at least I still have Elements). It isn't as intricate as it could be (I don't have his mother's side of the family on their except for his mother), but there are three generations included. If it's released it will be at the end of this story.

I do have one small request in regards to reviews – if possible, I do have a strong preference for signed reviews, although I will accept anonymous reviews. This is so I can respond to your reviews.

Dixxy


	7. Search Party

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 6 – March 3, 12:00 pm

* * *

After about a day, Robin and Nami had combed the shoreline of the island – they found one other ship, most likely belonging to Elizabeth Stoker and her employees. They checked the ship for signs of anyone still on board but found no one – they had apparently packed up and headed for somewhere else. They also checked a few caves, but each of them proved to be empty. There was no sign of a possible third party's ship, though Robin mentioned that it wasn't unheard of for someone to be marooned on a Wild Isle. 

That left the interior of the island, and it was thick with trees and other difficult to navigate terrain. Trying to find Sanji was going to be tough – even assuming that Stoker was on this island. Nami was notably worried. "What if she's teasing us and she's brought Sanji somewhere far away? What if this search is useless?"

"The Devil Fruit that weasel ate, the Teleport Teleport fruit, can't travel that great a distance – perhaps a mile at best, and there isn't another island within a mile of the shore, nor another boat close enough. They're still on this island," said Robin, crossing her arms. "We just need to figure out where they are in the less than sixty hours."

Nami sighed. "Well, that's sightly comforting, but it's still going to be hard just to find him. And then we need to figure out what his Mercy Task is, keep him away from that woman, and complete it," she said. She started walking towards the trees. "While we're walking, maybe we should try and figure out some possible suspects for what his Mercy Task is."

Robin nodded. "Wise idea, Navigator-san," she said. As the two women began to move through the trees, Robin began to ask questions and Nami tried to reason through them, hoping that she would have an epiphany or give her companion an idea. "What do we know about Cook-san's personality and goals that might hint at a possible Mercy Task?"

"Well, his major goal in life is to find All Blue, but there's no actual proof it exists, and even if it does, there's no way we'd be able to find it in time," said Nami. She shook her head. "Then again, he talks about it – that means he isn't in danger of us finding out and becoming poisonous to him."

"He likes to cook," Robin said.

"But he does that way too often," said Nami. "It has to be something he's actively interested in that he doesn't get much of a chance to do." She sighed. "He was passionate about getting a bounty. . . but he did that already, so that isn't it. He's been co-owner of a business, and he was pretty passionate about the Baratie."

Robin snapped her fingers. "Women."

Nami rolled her eyes. "Sanji does well with women. . ."

The older woman shook her head. "Does he really? He likes to try and flirt with them and romance them, but how far has he actually gotten with any of them?" Robin asked. She crossed her arms. "It's something he's consistently going after and doesn't seem to have the best results with. I've never seen him succeed."

Nami was almost ready to start laughing. "No way! Sanji's a bit of a pervert and he's a bit forward, but there's no way he's gone twenty years without. . . something. . . with a woman," she said. But little by little, Nami started to recall many, many incidents were the poor cook had tried so hard to get a girl's attention, and failed terribly. "I mean. . . he's not that terrible. . . he's just. . . Robin, what if you're right? What if THAT's his Mercy Task?"

"I know I haven't seen anyone kiss him," said Robin.

The navigator thought that over, still a bit dumbfounded at their sudden revelation. "You're right. I'm pretty sure he's kissed hands, but I've never seen him kiss a girl on the lips." She turned to Robin with wide eyes. "Perhaps this would explain his desperation to be with a woman and why he's unable to control himself around women – perhaps even an explanation for his chivalrous ways as well."

"He needs something from them," said Robin.

Nami lowered her eyes. "He hasn't had a real first kiss."

"Perhaps."

"Then. . . that's the Mercy Task?"

"Sometimes they are deceptively difficult – perhaps his desperation to be kissed has been counter-productive," said Robin. She smiled, bending slightly to place a hand on Nami's shoulder. The navigator turned to the archaeologist in confusion. "This of course means that you, Navigator-san, should be the one who kisses Cook-sajn."

"WHAT!?" asked Nami, looking at Robin in shock. "Why me?!"

The archaeologist frowned. "He said he loves you – even if it's not his Mercy Task, he would be able to die happy knowing that a woman he cares so much about kissed him good-bye," said Robin. She brushed her hair behind her ears and placed a hand on Nami's shoulder. "I think it would be rather touching."

"That's so morbid!" said Nami. "Stop saying creepy things like that!"  
Robin shrugged. "Just a thought." She continued ahead of Nami. "And it wouldn't be so bad, Navigator-san. You and Cook-san are friends, aren't you? You wouldn't have to think of it as anything romantic – just a friendly kiss between two friends to save one friend's life. You have nothing to loose."

Nami frowned. "But it's Sanji-kun! Why would I kiss him?"

Robin turned around. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Because. . . he's Sanji-kun?"

The older woman seemed to realize something, and she smiled. "You're afraid."

"Excuse me?!" said Nami. The older woman smiled as she noticed the navigator was beginning to blush. "Why would I be afraid of Sanji-kun? He's Sanji-kun! He doesn't hit girls so I know he wouldn't hurt me and besides, we both have him under our thumbs! Out of everyone in the crew he's probably the one we should be the LEAST afraid of!"

Robin laughed. "That's not what I mean! Of course we have no reason to fear Cook-san."

Nami fumed. "All right, Robin – what am I afraid of?"

"You're afraid you'll like it."

NOW Nami was getting angry. "LIKE IT!?" Nami asked.

"If there's one thing I've learned about co-ed pirate crews, it's this – being out at sea for long stretches of time with your crew mates can occasionally lead to a little sexual tension – it's no big deal," said Robin. "Cook-san isn't the only one who'd like a little attention on the ship, I'm sure. Didn't you get a reaction out of almost all of the boys when you flashed them in Arabasta?"

Nami blushed. "So? They're all horny. Big deal."

"You read romance novels and dress in sexy clothing – you don't act like it, but you wouldn't mind curling up with a man, would you? I'll admit – even I think about once in a while. I don't see anything wrong with it – it's a biological need to satisfy hormonal urges steeped in a desire to procreate, but there has to be something to intimacy with a partner as well," said Robin. "Unless, of course, you like women."

"I'm not a lesbian!"

"So you do like men," said Robin.

Nami clenched her fists. "I lost my virginity when I was fourteen," she said though gritted teeth. "It was in the bowels of a pirate ship I was trying to rob and I got caught – the pirate who caught me said he'd let me go if I let him have his way with me and you know what? I did. It was disgusting and gross and he smelled terrible. . . I haven't had a lot of good experiences with men. I know that none of our nakama would do something like that but every time I've let a man touch me it's been something like that."

Robin paused as Nami continued down the trail. She frowned. "I'm sorry, Navigator-san. I didn't know about your sexual history. If I had known I. . . if you'd like, I will kiss him. After all, we just need to complete the Mercy Task so he doesn't die, and them we can all go back to the ship, right?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Nami's voice was wavering as terrible memories seemed to flood back to her. "I just. . . it's not your fault, Robin." She laughed. "I'm probably being overly sensitive about it, right? I'll be fine. It's me – I've survived a lot of tough stuff, and I've been surviving this for four years. I can keep doing it."

_I've obviously hit a sore spot with Navigator-san – I'd better make sure she's all right._

* * *

March 3, 6:00 pm

* * *

Sanji sighed, feeling terrible. There hadn't been very many people in the room since his uncle left after telling him – in great detail – about what had happened to the only family he had left. _How. . . how could he. . . they didn't deserve that. . . why did he do it. . . he had nothing to gain from . . . that bastard!_ He clenched his eyes shut as the pain came back.

Sanji wasn't sure what made his uncle think killing off the rest of his family a good idea – even though he didn't really think he'd see either one of them again, the thought that they were still alive and well had been a precious thought for him all these years, and now it had been torn to shreds. "Why?" he said.

_I. . . I can't worry about that now. There's nothing I can do for them. Right now, I have to think about whether or not I'm going to survive._ Sanji had figured out that Nami and Robin were looking for him based on the passing comment on one of the people Stoker had sent to check up on him, and at the very least he owed them a fighting chance. _I can't give up knowing they're coming after me. . ._

_Especially if she's coming after me. . ._

Sanji couldn't help but take some comfort in knowing that Nami was amongst his would-be rescuers. Certainly he was in love with her (or at least he thought he was), and even if she didn't love him back, he knew she considered him a friend at the very least and he didn't want her to be hurt on account of him. So he had to stay alive so he could be rescued and let Nami know that everything was okay.

_Especially if they figure out I've gone twenty years without ever kissing a woman._

It was embarrassing but true. Sanji, the flirt, the pervert, the womanizer, had never kissed a woman (well, at least one he wasn't related to). Heck, if the Marimo knew that, he'd never hear the end of it and be teased for his inexperience for a long time to come. He'd come close to his first kiss more times than he could count, but at the last second every girl he'd tried to kiss would back away and find some excuse or reason why she had to leave right away, and it always hurt. Not just because he had once again failed to save his own life, but because he was rejected – again.

And again.

And now, after so many failed attempts, he was in a lot of trouble. Time was almost up, and even if Nami and Robin did find him in time, he couldn't tell them what they needed to do. And yet, at this point, they were probably the only people who could help him. A kiss from Elizabeth Stoker was going to kill him, and he highly doubted any of her female minions would want to spoil her catch – that left the girls. _Good thing they're both smart._

Getting desperate, Sanji decided to see how tight the ropes were. Although that had been enough to support his weight when he was unconscious and kept him from reaching his uncle, that didn't mean they were strong enough to stay put if he fought against them. Besides, his arms hurt and even if he was swamped with Stoker's henchmen the second he freed himself, at least he'd get a chance to relax them a little bit. Even THAT would make temporary freedom worth it.

Not that he didn't think he could take her henchmen. Most of them would probably be easy enough to beat. But his uncle would have a severe advantage over him if he started to get sick, and Elizabeth Stoker was. . . well. . . Elizabeth Stoker. He didn't even want to try fighting her, even if he did hit women.

Much to his surprise, after a few jerky movements, he could hear the rope begin to break. _You have GOT to be kidding me_, he thought. He shook his hands a little more – they loosened even further, until eventually the rope snapped and his wrists were free. Rubbing his wrists, he started to walk towards the door.

Sanji looked out the door and looked both ways – he didn't see any sign of his captors, but he was certain once they figured out he was loose the entire place would be searched from top to bottom. _There's no way I'm getting out of here easily. . . but maybe I can find something useful if I poke around for a bit. . ._

_Still. . ._

Double-checking to ensure that no one was around, Sanji slipped out the door.

* * *

March 3, 6:30 pm

* * *

Sanji was able to explore his prison for a good half hour without interuption. He found very little of actual interest – a loose cigarette that was probably left behind by one of Stoker's henchmen (something that he REALLY wanted – badly) and not much else. After enjoying the smoke, he continued his search for something useful. 

_Maybe I can find something to light a fire with – the smoke might alert Nami and Robin to where I am, or even get the attention of Luffy and the others. Even the Marimo wouldn't want me dead, right? But, I'd need to find a place to light a fire and let the smoke get outside. And I'd need to make sure I wasn't found._ Sanji sighed – this was not going to be easy.

He eventually came to the conclusion that the place he was being held in was probably an old, abandoned castle-like structure. Most likely, if he remembered the stories Zeff told him as a child correctly, it had been part of an old plan the World Government had a few hundred years ago to give people a place to stay if they were caught on a Wild Isle. However, sometime after the Eternal Pose was invented, and the need for such buildings didn't exist anymore.

Unless, of course, you landed on a Wild Isle without an Eternal Pose.

Sanji found a door that was slightly ajar and he looked inside. It was dark, but he could make out old boxes, pieces of furniture, and lots of sheets – definitely some kind of a storage room. _Maybe there's something useful in here. . ._ Carefully, he pushed the door open – much to his relief, it didn't make a noise – he slowly stepped in and closed the door behind him, leaving it slightly ajar in case anyone wanted it that way (and to give him a heads up if someone entered the room).

Despite Zoro's insistance that he was an idiot love-sick cook, Sanji wasn't an idiot – he and his brother got into trouble regularly as children, and getting themselves out of that trouble was a skill they'd both developed early on. Those same skills were useful when on the Orbit, or the Baratie, and they were put to the test when the Straw Hats were in Arabasta, Skypiea, and Robin was in danger of being killed by the World Government.

Sanji took a few steps inside, and heard a gasp. He froze in place – someone else was in the room. Swallowed, Sanji took a few steps backward, trying to scan the room for the possibility of finding whoever it was in the room with him. _If it's a guy, I can kick his ass. If it's a woman. . . I don't know what I'm going to do._

Unfortunately, Sanji backed into a table, causing the contents of the table to jump a little.

The next minute was chaotic.

Whoever was in the room screamed (and by the voice it was probably a female) and jumped out of their hiding place, crashing into Sanji. He let out a yell as they tumbled to the floor and a skinny female frame was suddenly pinning him to the ground. They stayed like that for a minute – Sanji froze in place as she pinned his wrists to the floor.

Sanji couldn't see her too well, but he realized she was definitely examining him. He could barely breath – was this girl working for Elizabeth Stoker? However, the girl suddenly gasped in alarm and flew off him, backing into a corner. Sanji sat up, trying to spot her. Her outline was scarcely visible, and he could barely see her eyes staring back at him in the dark. _Is she. . . afraid?_

The girl made her way towards the door in a bit of a hurry after she realized he'd spotted her, but paused to look at him. Sanji wasn't sure if she could see him very well, as his eyes still weren't adjusted to the dark room. He could see her eyes, though, and at one point they locked. Neither spoke a word. The heels of her shoes clicked against the floor as she backed into the door, then quickly opened it and ran out of the room.

He barely saw the butterfly tattoo on the small of her back and flipped blond hair under a black hat as she made her exit. He heard fast paced clicking as she apparently ran down the hallway – to where, he wasn't sure. Sanji stared at the door for a minute, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

_Who. . . whoever that was, I don't think they were supposed to be here. What the hell is going on?_ He wondered. He sighed, stood up, and brushed himself off. He paused in contemplation. _But if she wasn't supposed to be here. . . then maybe she isn't running to tell Stoker where I am. Otherwise she would have been screaming that she'd found me or something – maybe try to stop me from running – but she just wanted to get the hell out._

Sanji turned back to the storeroom. If he was to be undisturbed for a little bit, he might be able to come up with some kind of plan to, at the very least, make sure Nami-san and Robin-chan would get out of this alive and unharmed. At the very least, even if he was doomed to die, he needed to know they would be okay.

* * *

Author's Notes

I needed help on this chapter – big time. Big thanks to Chris-kun. This was a toughie, partly because it's largely transitional. The following chapter should have some action and maybe a surprise or two. We'll see how good of a storycrafter I am.

Sorry about the delay – end of the school year stuff and what-not happened, plus I was a little picky with this chapter to boot. The next chapter has some material written (and the chapter after it even more), so there might be more frequent updates over the summer.

Dixxy


	8. Unexpected Aid

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 7 – March 3, 7:00 pm

* * *

Sanji stood outside the storage room, a serious look on his face as he stood face to face with Elizabeth Stoker. He'd been found, but he wasn't afraid. To that, Elizabeth sneered. "Cute trick, trying to escape," she said. She smirked. "You're not the first one to try it – believe me. You're not the first. And I'm sure you won't be the last. The human will to survive is amazing, isn't it?"

Sanji didn't move; he just continued to stare at her as she roughly grabbed his shoulder. She looked him over. "Why aren't you saying anything? Hmm?"she demanded. Sanji continued to give her the silent treatment, staring ahead as she began to drag him back towards the room he'd been held in. "Well, if you want to keep quiet for the last hours of your life, I don't care – but it's awfully creepy."

Her captive turned to look at her as if to say she was the creepy one, but Stoker ignored him, rolling her eyes. Sometimes they got a little weird when they knew their time was up. One girl started singing children's songs for hours on end, laughing hysterically as she died, and another young man had started talking to the wall like it was his mother. Apparently, this one was going to be quiet.

_Unless. . ._ she stopped and looked at him, but Sanji just continued to give her the cold stare. Elizabeth turned up her nose, sneering. "I don't like you. I'll be glad when your corpse begins to cool tomorrow night. And I'd certainly like to bring about an end to the lives of those women, hmm?"

Sanji's expression seemed to falter, but he still refused to talk. Growing frustrated, Elizabeth began to walk faster, dragging her captive along. But as she focused on getting him back to that little room and bound with tighter bonds, she missed the smile that crawled across his face.

Elizabeth Stoker was not going to take down Black Leg Sanji that easily.

* * *

March 4, 1:00 pm

* * *

With time running out and still no sign of Sanji, the women were beginning to get discouraged. They only had eleven hours left – time was running out. Nami felt herself getting frustrated and decided to splash her face with some water and maybe get a drink – she needed to calm her nerves, and the water might do the trick.

Nami veered away from Robin long enough to look for some water. The canteens they had brought were long since dry, and she was getting thirsty – not to mention tired. They hadn't slept the previous night at all, and she was starting to feel the lack of sleep. Some cold water might help her stay awake for just a little longer. . . _I need to help myself before I can help Sanji-kun._

There was a small spring near their current location, and Nami knealt down at the edge of the water and dipped her hands in. The water was chilly and clear – exactly what she needed. She began to drink, opened her eyes, and looked around. It was largely what she had expected – trees, the sun, the sounds of birds and the babbling of the water. Much to her surprise, however, the navigator did see something else of interest.

Nearby, on the other side of the spring, was a young woman – probably a little younger than she was. She wore a black hat over blond hair and a turtle-necked, sleeveless shirt with no midriff. On the small of her back, just above the line of her black mini-skirt, a very intricate butterfly was tattooed. The knees of her grey tights and the fishnet tights over them were beginning to break at the knees, just above where her black boots ended.

She was standing with her back to Nami, a circular metal ring in one hand. She looked a little lost and was scratching her head. _Is she one of Stoker's minions?_ she wondered. The metal thing sure looked like a weapon, and it wouldn't be unlikely to assume Stoker had her people all over the island trying to stop her and Robin or keep Luffy and the others from even finding out until it was too late.

The girl turned around, two sections of blond hair framing her face. The girl's dark eyes noticed Nami, and she froze. Nami opened to her mouth to say something, but the girl took off first, disappearing into the woods. "Hey!" Nami yelled. The girl didn't respond, and Nami considered chasing her – what if this was one of Stoker's minions? Maybe she would lead her to Sanji! But before Nami could get very far Robin placed a hand firmly on her shoulder.

"Don't," she said.

Nami looked up. "Why?"

"That was probably the Iron Butterfly – a bounty hunter," said Robin. She narrowed her eyes. "From what I know of her, she's a blond with a butterfly tattooed on her back, and that young woman fit the description. She was most likely our intruder from the other night – question is, what is she doing here, and why, if I'm correct, was she on the ship?"

"Iron Butterfly?" asked Nami, raising an eyebrow.

"I would assume the tattoo explains part of her nickname, but who knows where the 'iron' came from. She's made a modest name for herself as a bounty hunter. She hasn't taken down anyone with a particularly high bounty – certainly nothing over fifty million – but she might be going after us for the reward and the reputation – imagine what capturing Luffy, or Swordsman-san, or me would do for her career." Robin sighed and turned around. "Regardless, we can worry about her later – for now she's just going to get in our way. Come, Naviagtor-san – we must find Cook-san before it's too late."

Nami looked in the direction where the Iron Butterfly had run off to for another second before following Robin. As the two began to walk, the navigator let this information spin around her head for a bit. So Elizabeth Stoker wasn't their only enemy. _Iron Butterfly. . . what does she want with us?_

* * *

March 4, 1:05 pm

* * *

Sanae watched the exchange between Nico Robin and Cat Burlgar Nami from a safe, unseen distance. She'd lost track of them after finding where Elizabeth Stoker was holding Sanji, but now she'd found them again – or rather, they had found her. That wasn't exactly working into her plan, but at least things were still going smoothly enough. She had a general idea of where everyone was on the island – she knew Luffy and his group were. . . somewhere, and at least she knew where Elizabeth Stoker's base of operations was (so even though she didn't know where her henchmen were, she knew where they'd be likely to return to).

That didn't mean they didn't have information of other interest to her. Apparently, Nico Robin had heard about her – her reputation, it seemed, was preceeding her. The Iron Butterfly grinned a little. _Hee, looks like I'm famous! That's kind of cool! Maybe there are some pirates who're scared of little old me – wouldn't that be a riot._

But Sane didn't let her newfound fame get to her head – she had to concentrate! She had a mission! Sanae narrowed her eyes. _Just a little longer. . ._ then she'd make her move. Now was not the time to start fantasizing about fame and power – now was the time to buckle down and focus. This island was full of some very dangerous people, and even if she was gaining notoriety, she needed to be careful.

Once the women had moved a little, Sanae began to follow them.

* * *

March 4, 1:15 pm

* * *

"I must say, Kenji, your nephew is proving to be a bit of trouble, isn't he?" Elizabeth Stoker asked. She and her second in command were enjoying lunch in their temporary base of operations. After Sanji's escape and suspicious quiet, she decided to ask her current prisoner's uncle about it. "Tell me. . . was he like this as a child? As his uncle I'm sure you would know, wouldn't you?"

Kenji crossed his legs and sipped from his glass of wine. "Well, all three of them were trouble for me at one point or another – Sanji probably got into more trouble than the other two when they were kids, but the other two had their fair of mischief as well – Sanji's pretty smart, but his brother was a freakin' genius – if it had been Akito we were dealing with, we might have not found him. As it is we were lucky we were able to get Sanji as a kid – I would've had the other two little brats if they hadn't run away after their parents died, because apparently they were onto me – I don't think they figured out what was going on, but they did make themselves disappear within a day of the funeral. Had they not figured it out, though, you would have had two more. All I would have had to do is tell the other islanders I was moving them elsewhere, hand them over to you, and be done with it."

Stoker raised an eyebrow. "A ten year old and a five year old outsmarted you?" She chucked. "Kenji, darling. . . I hired you so that you could bring children to me, and certainly some amount of trickery would have to be involved in some cases. I have to say bringing me your nephew was a wonderful gesture of loyalty, but these children getting away from you is not a good sign of competence."  
"I told you Akito was a genius. That ten year old had the intelligence of someone more than twice his age, and based on his escape I would say our dear Sanji can't be too far behind where his elder brother was at the time. The little one saw me leading Sanji away from the house – their parents told me this before I pushed them into that gorge," said Kenji. "But he'll have a hard time getting out of the cuffs we have him in now, and I've made it clear to the others that he's not to be left alone for a second. I don't know if he plans on living, but if he's going to die anyways let's at least have his life force be of some use to you."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, indeed. Now, what's the status with his crew?"  
"Straw Hat is with Roronoa Zoro, Candy Cotton Lover, Cyborg Franky, and a man we assume might be Sogeking, Cat Burglar and Nico Robin are currently trying to locate Sanji – I've sent the twins and, as a last resort, Borgat after them. I've also received a report that there's an unidentified woman who might be the Iron Butterfly on the island as well – I haven't seen her myself, but she's apparently spying on the Straw Hats – possibly trying to take their bounties for herself," said Kenji. He grinned. "They should not be an issue once they've been dealt with. We could always strike a deal with the bounty hunter – let her take the other Straw Hats as long as we get Sanji, Nico Robin, and Cat Burglar Nami. Straw Hat alone would fetch her more money than she's probably ever seen before."

"Cocky, aren't we?" said Elizabeth Stoker.

Kenji laughed. "Don't you have a little faith in me?"

"Of course – I'm just warning you. Don't underestimate our enemy – they took down Enies Lobby. We must make sure that the women don't find their captain until after we're done – and don't underestimate the bounty hunter – remember, I also have a price on my head and she might decide to turn on us for the bigger prize – of course we'd have to kill her in that instance, and I really have no other reason or want to dispose of some bounty hunter," she said. "But until then, I don't want to take any chances with a man worth three hundred million."

"Understood," he said. "We'll continue to monitor Straw Hat and make sure that Nico Robin and Cat Burglar Nami are disposed of properly – perhaps we can leave their bodies back on their ship and leave before the others return. They'll never know what happened to their crewmates and we can live another day." Kenji held up his glass. "Cheers?"

* * *

March 4, 1:20 pm

* * *

It wasn't long before Robin and Nami came upon a small clearing. Nami stepped into the middle of the clearing and looked around. Robin joined her in the clearing. "Well. . . which way should we go, Navigator-san?" Robin asked calmly. Nami crossed her arms and sighed, shaking her head. She had no idea.

"We're running out of time, and I'm running out of ideas," said Nami.

"Keep a cool head – we can still do this," said Robin.

"I don't know if I believe that anymore," said Nami. She started to get angry. "We have less that twelve hours to find Sanji-kun before that bitch kills him! Then what? What are we going to tell Luffy and the others? What are we going to tell Zeff and the other chefs on the Baratie? What about Sanji's family in North Blue – what if they still have hope that he's out there somewhere alive?"

"Actually. . . you won't be telling them anything."

Robin and Nami turned towards the source of the voice. Two blue haired women in red catsuits were standing side by side in the clearing – one carried a whip, and the other had no sleeves and was wearing glasses. From what Nami could tell, they were twins. And they didn't seem too friendly, either. "Who are you?" asked Nami. She started to move her hand towards her weapon, just in case things got a little ugly.

The twins stepped back to back and struck a pose. "We're the Amazing Acrobat Sisters from South Blue, Lee Mai and Mai Lee!" said the one with the whip. She cracked her whip. "I am Mai Lee, Mistress of the Whip, and my sister, Lee Mai, is the Lady of the Mud! We work under the employ of the fabulous Elizabeth Stoker, and we apologize in advance but we're here to kill you."

"Here to kill you!" Lee Mai repeated.

"What!?" asked Nami. _FUCK! Why'd we have to run into Stoker's goons NOW!?_

"Prepare to DIE!"

"DIE! DIE, DIE, DIE!"

And with that, the twins launched into the attack. Mai Lee made a bee line for Nami, cracking her whip at the navigator as Lee Mai outstretched her hands towards Robin – they weren't kidding about intending to kill them. Unsurprisingly, Nami drew the Perfect ClimaTact and Robin prepared to bloom some limbs.

Unfortunately, both Nami and Robin didn't get too far.

Before Nami could even begin to attack with her weapon, Mai had cracked her whip, binding Nami's arms to her sides and forcing her to drop her weapon. In an unbelievable amount of strength, the twin began to toss Nami around the clearing like a ball on a chain, slamming her into a tree.

As for Robin's fight, the other twin had her arms free because she was clearly a Devil Fruit user – and her fruit allowed her to create lots and lots and lots of mud. Robin was stuck in a giant mud pie from the neck down. She couldn't move, and was unable to use her powers. Lee Mai had defeated her very, very easily, and was smiling at her devilishly.

Nami, who was still a bit dizzy from being slammed into the tree, attempted to stand up. "Why are you helping Elizabeth Stoker!? She takes children away from their families! You're allowing her to do that!?" Nami tried to loosen the whip, only to find it got tighter with each pulled. She cried out and grabbed her arm, glaring at Mai Lee. "We're not going to let you hurt Sanji-kun!"

Mai Lee just laughed and snapped the whip, sending Nami back to the ground – the navigator cried out again and glared at her captor. "Ah, Cat Burglar Nami, you little wench! You're a pirate – you're not much better than we are! We're going to enjoy turning in your bounties – if you'd like, we can even turn in his lifeless corpse next to yours!"

"We're not finished yet!" Nami screamed. "You're not going to kill him! I won't let you!"

"Oh please – Nico Robin's about to be beheaded by my lovely sister, and I've decided I'm going to suffocate you with my whip," said Mai Lee. She pulled the whip tighter, and Nami started having trouble breathing. "I'll make it nice and slow for you, so you just loose air a little at a time. . . you'll suffer. . . oh, you're going to suffer. . . and then it'll all be over."

Nami was loosing the ability to talk and felt herself struggling for air, but the pressure on her body was too great. _This. . . this can't be happening! We're really going to loose and Sanji-kun is going to die!_ Nami wanted to cry – this was bad! This was hopeless! Luffy and the others weren't around. Sanji was kidnapped. Robin was stuck under a giant mud pie. And this whip-wielding bitch was suffocating her.

Mai Lee cackled, pulling the whip tighter and tighter as she stepped closer and closer to Nami – the navigator could almost feel herself loosing consciousness. "So, my pretty kitty – looks like now would be a good time to give up on any funny ideas about rescuing Black Leg, hmm?" She stepped closer, grinning. "My lady tells me you tried to kiss him before he was taken away from you – you don't think you're in love with him, do you?"

Nami shook her head. "He's. . . he's my. . . my friend. . ."

"Oh how precious, but do friends really try to kiss, well, friends, like that?"

_But, I was just trying to get him to tell us what was wrong!_ said Nami.

A little voice inside her perked up. _And you could have slapped him, yelled at him. . ._

_So I tried to kiss him – big deal! It would have gotten his attention!_

_And out of the millions of ways you could have gotten his attention, why that?_

_Well, I. . ._

_Silly Nami. Robin's right – you've been out at sea so long that you ARE looking at your crewmates in a new light. Luffy's too silly and bone headed – he doesn't even look like he'd be that interested. Zoro's too focused and a bit of a muscle-head – he's got a GREAT body, but he doesn't always seem to like you too much. Usopp's a bit too immature for you – remember your fight with Ms. Double Finger? Chopper's not even completely human, and Franky's probably too old for you – and mechanical._

_And Sanji is a womanizer!_

_But you know you're his favorite – if you let him love you and you let yourself love him, you know that he wouldn't be as head-over-heels over other woman anymore, would he? He's always nice to you, and he's gone to some extremes to protect you. Let's count everything he's done for you – he tried to fight Arlong for you, he went with Luffy when you were sick and nearly died and he almost destroyed his back, then he rescued you from Crocodile and defended you from Enel, getting himself electrocuted – twice. Certainly he helped Vivi quite a bit when she was with you and he went after Robin when she was being taken to Enies Lobby, but he didn't ask Vivi if she loved him, and he doesn't leave silly love letters for Robin._

_Oh my God, he really does love me!_

_And the question remains. . . do you love him?_

Nami wasn't sure how to respond to. . . herself. She didn't THINK she was in love with anything but money and tangerines. But both were just. . . objects, really. Yes, her trees reminded her of Bellemere, but they couldn't hold her or tell her everything was going to be all right. . . maybe she was starving herself for human affection -

FWIP!

Without explanation, the whip was suddenly sliced in the middle and a large metal ring was embedded in a nearby tree – the glistening from the sides told the story of just how sharp it was. The leather around Nami's body fell harmlessly to the ground, leaving both her and her opponent in stunned silence. Nami scooted backwards away from the whip, gasping for the precious air that had she had been denied just seconds earlier. _What in the. . . is someone trying to help us?_

"Here! Catch!"

Nami looked over towards the sound of the voice and saw the Iron Butterfly was standing on a boulder near their battlefield. The navigator was surprised to see the bounty hunter had returned, and even more surprised when the Perfect ClimaTact was thrown her way. Her jaw dropped as she realized what was going on.

The Iron Butterfly was HELPING them.

"Who the hell are you?! Another pirate!?" shouted Mai Lee.

The Iron Butterfly narrowed her eyes. "I'm no pirate, but I'm no friend of yours!" She revealed a second iron ring and began to twirl it around her wrist. "For now, Mai Lee, let's just say that I'm on their side, and I'm going to help them finish the two of you off and find their friend."

Mai Lee's eyes widened in recognition. "You! You're the Iron Butterfly!"

The bounty hunter shrugged. "Yeah, that's what they call me."

Mai Lee grinned. "Come now, you must be a little interested in money if you're a bounty hunter. My mistress pays very, very well – why don't you abandon these pirates and come work with us? The current prisoner is worth seventy-seven million – even after he's dead he'll still be worth quite a pretty penny."

"No. I'm not working for you or your mistress," said the Iron Butterfly, shaking her head. She jerked her thumb at Nami. "I'm working with them for a little while. Weren't you listening to me? I'm here to stop you and help them. Was there something about that difficult to understand, or is your cat suit cutting off the circulation to your head?"

"Why, you little – I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

Albeit a bit confused, Nami nodded to the Iron Butterfly and turned back towards her opponent, readying the Perfect ClimaTact before her. She narrowed her eyes at Mai Lee, who was glaring at her in anger. _I'll worry about whether or not I like Sanji THAT WAY later – I need to take care of these bimbos and rescue him so we have a later! _"I don't know why you're helping us, but I'll take it. Come on – let's finish this."

* * *

Author's Notes

Looks like the bounty hunter's choosing sides, doesn't it? Most of your questions about the intrepid little sneak should be answered next chapter.

I also love internal-arguing-with-oneself dialogs. They're fun.

I also wanted to thank the staff of the C2 list "Cooks and Crooks" for adding this story to their archive – yay!

Now, I want some honest opinions on this story. Originally, I planned on making this trilogy of stories with each story focusing on a different group of Straw Hats (which each of the strongest three separated – so Zoro and Luffy would get focuses in the next two stories). Each badguy would have been loosely based on some kind of horror-movie monster archtype – in this case Elizabeth Stoker is a twist on vampires.

Initially, I planned to follow up with zombies and frankenstein. Oda's kind of doing both with Thriller Bark, so now I'm not really sure what to do next. So, in addition to telling me how awesome or not awesome this story is in reviews, I'd really like to know where I should go next.

Finish _Deadline_ and put the trilogy to rest, then write other Sanji/Nami stories.

Continue with the original plan with new monster types – if so, suggestions, please? The current best thought I have is a Medusa type villain.

Continue with the trilogy, only go away from the Angel of Death Fruit theme – this might be more relevant later on.

Any input is appreciated – thanks!

Dixxy


	9. True Intention

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 8 – March 2, 1:30 pm

* * *

Nami still didn't understand why the Iron Butterfly had helped her, but she quickly realized that – at least, for the time being – they had an ally. How long that alliance would last was anyone's guess, but it seemed as if, between the Straw Hat Pirates and Elizabeth Stoker's henchmen, she was choosing the Straw Hats.

Mai Lee and the Iron Butterfly were facing each other, and Mai Lee seemed very angry. "You little – don't think that was the last of my arsenal!" The woman backflipped and produced a second whip, which she cracked at the bounty hunter's feet. The Iron Butterfly leaped out of the way, landing gracefully on all fours next to Nami, her body crouched in a fighting position.

"If you want to get out of this alive, we have to take them both out," said the bounty hunter. "Then we might have a chance at getting to Sanji and rescuing him before Elizabeth Stoker does her dirty work – there shouldn't be a need for your crew to have a funeral because of this if we play our cards right."

"Why should I be taking orders from you?" asked Nami.

"Weren't you going to do all of that that anyways?" the girl said dryly. She stood, brandishing her weapon in front of her. "First thing we have to do is stay alive – none of us will be able to do anyone any good if we loose here." She turned to Mai Lee, pointing the ring towards her. "We won't loose to you or your sister."

Mai Lee grinned. "The two of you and Nico Robin won't be leaving this island alive, and neither will your dear Black Leg. But if you insist on fighting a pointless battle, I certainly won't stop you." She pulled the whip tight and grinned. The Iron Butterfly stood her ground, beginning to twirl the ring around her wrist. "So. . . who's first? Will it be our Iron Butterfly, or our Cat Burglar? There's more than one way to skin a cat, and I can squash the other like a bug."

Nami almost let her guard down at the line, while the bounty hunter simply rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Oh. Wow. I've never heard that line before. 'I'm gonna squash you like a bug," said the Iron Butterfly. "Did all you morons graduate from the same School of Terrible Lines or something?"

"I don't care if you think my line is corny – you're going to die!"

The Iron Butterfly eyed Nami. "I can handle her – anyone who's that unoriginal can't be all that clever. Besides, I think Nico Robin needs your help right now," she said. Nami's eyes widened as she realized just how much trouble her crew mate was in and turned her attention away from the bounty hunter, who charged towards Mai Lee with a battle cry. She'd worry about her later – after Robin was safe.

Robin was certainly loosing her battle against Lee Mai and her Mud Mud Fruit – the Iron Butterfly was definitely right about Robin needing help. Trouble was. . . how was she going to fight someone who had a Logia fruit? Even Luffy had trouble winning against Crocodile and Enel, and he'd been unable to fight Smoker and was clearly defeated by Ao Koji. How was she going to do anything?

Then again, maybe it was just a Paramecia, like Mr. 3's fruit. Still, Mr. 3 almost killed her, Vivi, AND Zoro. Of course it didn't really matter what kind of fruit it was – she needed to know its weakness – and fast. She bit her lip, trying to evaluate the situation. What the the weaknesses of other fruits? Or, what would be strong against mud that she had on her?

She looked at her weapon and the obvious answer came to her. _DUH! She's just like Crocodile – her fruit is weak against water! It'll dillute the mud and Robin will be free!_ Now she just needed to make it rain and the Logia user would be finished. She looked back at the Iron Butterfly – they seemed to be fighting on relatively equal terms, and Mai Lee seemed very, very angry.

Nami concentrated and began to work – she had an idea. "Robin!" she said. "Follow my lead!" Robin turned towards the navigator and nodded as she began to work. Lee Mai looked at her a little funny, but didn't suspect how dangerous Nami was until it was far too late. "FATA MORGANA!"

The end result was lots and lots of Robins surrounding the second twin – the mist has dissolved the mud, and Lee Mai was looking around in a panic. "You're going to need to do a lot more than that if you want to find Robin. Which one is the real Robin, and which one is the fake? Can you tell?"

Lee Mai started to scream and lash out at the various Robins – most disappeared in a puff of vapor as Nami created more and more distractions. With Robin continuing to distract Lee Mai, Nami began to prepare a Rain Tempo. She turned briefly to catch a glimpse of the Iron Butterfly, who had gained the upper hand against Mai Lee and was in the process of pummeling her opponent with some somewhat choppy martial arts. At least she wasn't making a move to interfere with her fight – for now.

Nami grinned, her Rain Tempo prepared. "YOU'RE FINISHED! RAIN TEMPO!"

As the rain began to fall above the Mud Mud user, Lee Mai began to cry as her body seemed to melt away into the ground. "NO! NO, NO, NO!" Lee Mai cried, watching in horror as her flesh turned from pale pink to deep, lumpy brown and seemed to be soaked up into the Earth itself. Nami grinned – she wouldn't die, but she was finished.

As the Mud Mud user was soaked into the ground and Robin started gasping for breath, the navigator fell to her knees. She reminded herself that these women helped to hurt children, and she swallowed. That's right. They helped Elizabeth Stoker, who almost took her away from Bellemere-san as a little girl. The woman who snatched Sanji away from his own family in North Blue (she had always thought it was a bit odd that Sanji ended up in East Blue once he confessed where he was really from). They got what they deserved.

Her attention was brought back to her crewmate, who was coughing and sputtering from her own near death. Nami rushed to her side. "Robin! Robin!" she cried, holding her friend. "Are you all right?" Robin looked up at her and nodded, then turned her attention away. Apparently, the Iron Butterfly's battle was over.

Nami looked towards the other battleground, where the Iron Butterfly was walking away from an unconcious Mai Lii. "Told you I could take her," the Iron Butterfly said. . We've got a little extra time, though – enough time for us to get out of here, at the very least." She was smiling at them as she walked over. She stopped before the pirates and looked at each of them. "Well? Are we ready to go?"

"I don't understand," said Robin. "What are you motivations? You're a bounty hunter."

Nami turned to the Iron Butterfly and gripped her weapon tightly. Even after she rescued them, the navigator remembered the basic facts. They were pirates, she was a bounty hunter – they should be enemies, even with the current circumstances of a very dangerous woman on the island. So why was this girl trying to make friends? There was no telling what this girl was capable of. "Something's not right here. If you're a bounty hunter, you should be looking at Robin and me and thinking about 96 million berries – you shouldn't be helping us like this. What's your angle?"

The Iron Butterfly closed her eyes and stepped forward, laying her weapons down at Nami and Robin's feet. She shook her head and knelt on the ground before them, bowing her head. "I have no interest in your bounties. Please. . . Miss Nico Robin. . . Miss Nami. . . I need your help."

Nami and Robin exchanged a confused look. "Wait. . . you want our help? The help of PIRATES? Your ENEMIES? You make a living off hunting us – you shouldn't be siding with us! I know Elizabeth Stoker sucks but. . . what the hell kind of a bounty hunter are you!?" asked Nami. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Even though the Iron Butterfly had just helped them, she was still very skeptical.

Of course, there was a somewhat obvious answer, and Nami smacked her forhead when she realized it. "Bounty hunters loose some of the prize if they bring in dead pirates – it's a full thirty percent cut, so as far as Robin and I can tell you only saved us so your could collect our full bounties – with how much the two of us would be worth together, that's a big drop – almost 30 million."

"She's right – we have no reason to trust you, even if you have laid down your weapons," said Robin. She began to step forward, looking down on the young woman before her. "You're not one of the most well-known bounty hunters, but your nickname has gotten passed around a little amongst pirates. Taking down two members of the Straw Hat pirates would bolster your reputation quite a bit, which considering your size, you may or may not want. Either surprise them with your talent despite a skinny body, or awe-strike them with the knowledge that someone of your size has such a reputation."

This was true. Although the Iron Butterfly wasn't exactly a twig, she was a little bit shorter than Nami – even with the heels on her boots – and her breasts were at least a cup or two smaller. Although she seemed to have some muscle in her arms and legs, she was still a little bit wiry and looked quite light. Certainly not someone who would strike fear into the heart of a wanted man or woman.

The Iron Butterfly shook her head and held up her hands in defense. "I promise you, that's not what I want! Please, just let me explain myself and I promise everything will make sense if you just give me a minute," she said. She reached into her bag and produced a stack of wanted posters – the posters bearing the pictures and bounties of the Straw Hat Pirates. "I only have these so I would know you when I saw you."

"Yes, that would be the point of a wanted poster," said Nami dryly.

"Well. . . yes. . . but I'm not interested in the money."

Nami stared at the girl in shock. "How!? By myself I'm sixteen million! I'm not worth as much as Robin or Sanji-kun but that's nothing to sneeze at!" She shook her head. "Um, that not I want you to turn me in but. . . we still don't believe you. Bounty hunters survive on collecting bounties – how do we know this isn't some elaborate trick?"

The Iron Butterfly shook her head. "Sorry. The money's not important to me – at least, not the money on your heads." She pulled the poster advertising a 77 million berry bounty for "Black Leg Sanji" from the pile. "I know it's not a very good picture, but this is the reason why I started to follow your crew around – I know that you're trying to find him because Elizabeth Stoker took him away from you – I watched the whole thing," she said. "You want to get him back, don't you?"

"I understand – you want Stoker's bounty," said Robin.

"Huh?" asked the Iron Butterfly.

"Elizabeth Stoker is worth ten million berries – supposedly. I wasn't even aware she was real until recently and thought the bounty was just part of the story," said Robin. "Somehow you found out Cook-san was one of Stoker's victims, so you followed us in hopes of using him as bait to catch Elizabeth Stoker."

"That's not the whole story! I don't CARE about Stoker's bounty, either, although I'll admit that yes, I would turn her in before I turned any of your crew in, but it's nothing to do with the numbers," she said. The Iron Butterfly frowned. "I had to figure out if I could approach you without getting attacked first. I'm pretty sure I could at least get away with my own life or handle some of the crew by myself if you guys attacked me, but that's not what I wanted. I saw the rest of your crew a few days ago, but Roronoa Zoro almost spotted me and they're all on high alert – I'm sure they wouldn't listen to me, and besides – Sanji wasn't with them, so I would be just wasting my time anyways."

"Why are you so interested in Cook-san, Iron Butterfly-san?" asked Robin.

"Well, if she's lying about not wanting our bounties, he would be easier to take down because he won't hurt a woman – he'd be putty in her hands," Nami pointed out. She looked the Iron Butterfly up and down. "It's not conventional seduction-worthy clothing, but you've got a bare midriff and arms – short skirt, fishnet tights. . . dressed that it wouldn't take much for Sanji-kun to be all over you."

The Iron Butterfly stared at Nami in horror. "EWW! NO WAY! Gross, gross, gross!" The look of utter revolt on her face was so sincere that Nami wasn't sure how to take it. "That. . . oh God. . . no, no, no! Yuck!" She stepped aside, shuddering. "Please do me a favor and don't mention that again. The idea is just. . . ugh!"

Nami frowned. "Okay, so he's a pervert but he's not that bad, butterfly girl. And. . . the wanted poster isn't very flattering, if that's what got you so upset. He looks a lot better in person," she said. Robin sent her a sideways glance, and Nami tried to quietly swallow. _Just because I think he's not as ugly as that damn picture doesn't mean I'm attracted to him._

_Are you?_

_Oh, shut up._

_Fine, don't listen to your voice of reason. You just admitted you find him more attractive than the wanted poster depicts him. All right, it's a terrible picture, fair enough. But you just defended him against someone who gets pretty grossed out at the thought of doing anything with Sanji-kun – more importantly, someone you barely know. Why would you care so much about what someone you barely know thinks about Sanji? Just say it, Nami – he's not that bad looking, isn't he?_

The Iron Butterfly shook her head, seeming to regain her composure. "No, no, no! That's not it at ALL!" She cleared her throat, stood, and placed her hands on her hips. "My real name is Sanae – the Iron Butterfly is just a nickname I've earned from bounty hunting, and I prefer the name my parents gave me," she said. "And yes, there's a very specific reason I was looking for him, but it has nothing to do with the 77 million berries on his head – if I could, I would pay much more than that just to see him."

Robin and Nami were a little confused until Sanae removed her hat, and suddenly her intentions were clear. As she clenched the black cloth between her hands and looked at the other women with sad eyes, she was suddenly no longer a threat to them at all. This was why she had been looking for the Straw Hat pirates. . . and more importantly, why she had been looking for Sanji.

Sanae nodded, sniffling and wiping away a tear as she looked as she closed her eyes. "I could never do something like turn him in for a bounty – I don't care if he's a pirate," she said. Her eyes opened, accenting the two perfectly swirled eyebrow resting above her eyelids. "Sanji-kun. . . is my older brother."

* * *

Author's Notes

In all honesty, I want to know how many of you saw something to this extent coming. Maybe not that Sanae is Sanji's baby sister, but I'm curious.

**Dah crap, is Sanae going to join the Straw Hats?**

Probably not. But it could happen if there's a demand for it/it seems appropriate to the story. I'll admit in EARLY versions of the character that was part of the intent, but for this story, no. She is not likely to join the Straw Hats.

**. . . fall in love with one of the other Straw Hats?**

Also probably not (though if she ever really wanted to get on Sanji's nerves she probably just needs to throw herself at Zoro).

**So we're safe from getting another Mary Sue whose only purpose is to screw the Straw Hat of the author's choice.**

Yeah. I mean, if it looks like the story wants to go in a certain direction I'll probably let it go there, but that was not the reason I created her.

I realize this was a tad short, but one, fight scenes are a little bit of a weakness for me, and two, there's only so far I could drag out Sanae defending herself against Nami and Robin's questions before it just got silly.

And I really wish I had started using Nami's internal voice a lot earlier.

Dixxy


	10. Little Sister

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter Nine - _March 1, Twelve Years Ago_

* * *

_Sanae was a happy five year old girl who loved dolls and wearing dresses – especially green dresses. She thought green was one of the best colors ever! The only thing better than a green dress was a green dress with a skirt that spun really well – she liked to spin around and make the skirt float around her. She wished her dolls' dresses would do that, too, but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't get her dolls to spin right, and her mother usually scolded her for throwing her dolls around her room._

_Of course she would sometimes get dizzy and fall down, but that was another story._

_It should also be noted Sanae was a little girl who tended to get off-track._

_Sanae had parents who loved her, so she couldn't complain too much about that. Her mother was really good at giving hugs and singing lullabies – especially when she was sick - and her father was strong enough to lift her up and spin her around. He liked to call her his little butterfly. Her mother had soft blond hair, long legs, and big eyelashes. Sanae's father had curly eyebrows, a big smile, and strong hands. _

_Sanae also had two older brothers who were a little over-protective of her – Akito (her Onii-san) would yell at the older kids if they played too rough while she was around, while Sanji (she called him Onii-kun) was always keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn't get into any kind of unfortunate accident. Onii-san had their mother's eyes, and Sanji, like Sanae, had inherited their father's unusual eyebrows. _

_As it was, little Sanae was clutching one of her favorite dolls, Suki, as she scampered through the first floor of her house, looking for one of her older brothers to play with – neither one was on the ground floor, which left outside or upstairs. She bounced up onto the couch and looked out the window._

_Sanae was happy to see one of her brothers, but frowned when she realized this brother looked very sad. Sanji was sitting outside on the front porch, looking sad and lonely. He had an elbow on one knee and his chin resting in his palm. The little girl could only see the back of his head, but she had a feeling that there was a sad expression on his face._

_Sanae decided to go cheer him up. She slid off the couch and scampered towards the front door. Her big brother needed cheering up and she and Suki were going to make his day so much better! She started fiddling with the door knob, got it open, and burst outside. "Onii-kun! ONII-KUN!!" she cried out as she burst out the front door and headed for her brother. _

_Sanji looked over his shoulder, wide eyed as he spotted his little sister running straight towards him. He learned forward as Sanae started hugging him from behind. The younger sibling giggled, squeezing her older brother from behind as she buried her face in the back of his shoulder. "Onii-kun. . ."_

_Sanji, however, was not very please with his little sister's affections at the moment and he began to complain."Sanae-chan, calm down!" he said. Sanae frowned – apparently he wasn't so much sad and lonely as he was just plain cranky. "I'm not in a good mood right now – could you just go back in the house, please?"_

_Instead, she frowned and sat next to him on the front step. "Onii-kun, what's wrong? Can Suki help?" Sanae smiled brightly as she pushed Suki into her brother's face, getting a bewildered reaction from the boy who was almost eight years old. "Dolly makes me feel better when I'm having a bad day – you can play with her if you want!"_

_"I don't wanna play with your doll," said Sanji. "Mom and Dad forgot about me."_

_Sanae's eyes got wide. "They forgot about you?"_

_Her brother sighed and looked at the ground. "Tomorrow's my birthday and no one seems to remember." He looked at his sister with sad eyes. "They remembered your birthday and 'kito's birthday, but. . . they aren't doing anything for mine, and I'm afraid to say anything to them about but it still hurts." Sanji sniffled. "I just don't want to be forgotten, that's all." _

_Sanae gasped – everyone had remembered when she turned five, and here she couldn't even remember her own brother's birthday. She gave him another hug (this one much more gentle) and nuzzled the crook of his neck. "Onii-kun, that can't be right! It's your birthday tomorrow! It's one of the most important days of the year because we'll all get to have cake!" she said. She paused as she thought about it. "And maybe ice cream."_

_Sanji looked at her with a slight smile, then gently ruffled the top of her head. Sanae frowned at the treatment, but wasn't about to argue with him over it right now – there was much more important stuff to do. She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, trying to look as powerful and important as a five year old girl can look. "I will tell Mommy and Daddy that tomorrow is your birthday!"_

_Sanji looked at his sister is surprise. "Really? You'd do that?"_

_Sanae smiled. "I'll be right back!" she said, dashing back inside to find their mother. _

_Sanae was pretty sure that their mother would probably be in the kitchen – it was almost lunchtime, so she was probably making their lunch. With the simple conclusion in her head, Sanae began to run towards the kitchen. Her other brother, who was headed upstairs, saw her start to run and told her to slow down. _

_"You'll crash into something and get hurt!" he said._

_Sanae frowned, stuck her tongue out, and began to stomp towards the kitchen. "This is VERY important!" she insisted, placing her tiny hands on her almost non-existent hips. "I need to find Mommy! She forgot something very important, and there's CAKE AND ICE CREAM ON THE LINE!"_

_"She's in the kitchen," said Akito. "No need to run, okay?"_

_Indeed, Akito was correct. There was a plate of sandwiches on the kitchen table, and the woman she was looking for was standing at the sink. Their mother was washing dishes and humming to herself when Sanae tugged at her skirt. The woman looked down at her youngest and smiled, patting the little girl on the head. Sanae frowned, pouting out her lips (something that occasionally got Sanae her way with the adults in her life). "What is it, Sanae-chan? Is everything all right?"_

_"You forgot about Onii-kun's birthday!" said Sanae. "He's really sad!"_

_Her mother chuckled lightly and pressed a finger to her daughter's lips. "Your father and I haven't forgotten about Sanji-chan's birthday – we've having a surprise party for him tomorrow. It's a secret, so don't tell him about the party, but if you want you can tell him that we haven't forgotten, okay?"_

_Sanae smiled and clapped. Well, that was a relief! Excited by the news, Sanae ran back through the house (with her mother yelling for her to slow down) to the front door. Everything was going to be okay! No one forgot about anyone's birthday! There was probably going to be cake tomorrow, too! And maybe some ice cream as well! _

_Needless to say, the little girl was elated with this news. She couldn't wait to tell her Onii-kun about what she had found out – well, she said she wouldn't mention the party, and she would be good about that, but she had to tell him that they hadn't forgotten about his birthday after all. She ran outside and began to excitedly talk about how her parents hadn't forgotten. "Onii-kun! Onii-kun! Mommy and Daddy didn't – Onii-kun?" _

_Sanji wasn't on the porch. Sanae looked around in puzzlement, then stepped down the steps and looked around. "Onii-kun?" she asked quietly. When she looked to the left, she saw her Uncle Kenji (her daddy's brother that didn't visit too often) and Sanji were walking away from the house, holding hands. From what she could see, Sanji was looking up at Kenji and talking about something, and Kenji was giving him some kind of response. "I wonder where those two are going?"_

_Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sanae begin to worry. _Don't be silly, Sanae! That's just our uncle – he wouldn't do anything to Onii-kun. They're probably just going somewhere really quick and Onii-kun will be back so you can tell him that no one's forgotten about him, right? _But Sanae felt something deep in her stomach that told her she might never see Onii-kun ever again. . ._

_"Onii-kun. . . please come back," she whispered._

_But no one heard her._

* * *

_Later that day. . ._

* * *

_Sanae looked out at the window in worry. It was almost sundown and Onii-kun still wasn't home. He hadn't come home for lunch, and it was now after dinner. She and Akito were sitting on the couch, watching to see if they could spot their brother outside, but so far they didn't see anything. She wondered why Uncle Kenji hadn't brought him home yet, then remembered the odd feeling she had earlier. She shook it off and continued to look for her brother. _

_Their father was pacing back and forth in the living room, stopping every so often to look outside before he began to pace again. Their mother had an empty expression on her face as she sat in a chair, he hands in her lap. Her body was rocking back and forth a little bit – Sanae knew that was something her mother did when she was upset, and Sanji's vanishing act was definitely disturbing._

_"We need to contact the Marines," said her father. He stopped pacing and turned towards his wife. He stood before her and took her hands, gently pulling her out of her seat. "It's been too long, Kimiko – we can't stay here any longer. Sanji's only a child – what if he's hurt somewhere?"_

_Their mother started to cry and collapsed into her husband's arms. Sanae and Akito looked at their parents in worry, the oldest siblings hugging his youngest sibling tightly. Sanae looked up at her Onii-san and bit her bottom lip. "Onii-san. . . why hasn't Onii-kun come back yet?"_

_"We don't know," he said. He patted the back of her head and pushed her face into his shoulder. "That's why Mom and Dad are going to look for him. We don't know why he left the house and that's why they're worried – this isn't like him. He knows he's supposed to tell Mom and Dad if he's going somewhere, and he's probably just going to get into a lot of trouble when he gets back."_

_"But he was with Uncle Kenji – he can't be in trouble if he's with Uncle Kenji, right?" said Sanae. She had an innocent tone of hope in her voice as she tried to reason out why her brother was all right. Uncle Kenji was a grown-up and if Sanji was with him, then he was probably all right."I saw them together earlier today – is Uncle Kenji missing too?"_

_Akito stared at his sister in surprise, as did their parents. "He was with Uncle Kenji?"_

_Sanae nodded. "Uh huh. He thought Mommy and Daddy forgot about his birthday – I forgot, too, so I went to tell Mommy about it and she said not to tell him about the surprise party tomorrow but that I could tell him we didn't forget, but when I went back outside I saw Uncle Kenji and Onii-kun walking towards town."_

_Their parents exchanged a confused look. "That's odd – I didn't know your brother was in town today," said their mother. Their father shook his head – apparently he didn't know, either. "More importantly, why would he take one of the kids and not tell us?" She turned to Sanae. "Why didn't you tell us this earlier?"_

_Sanae frowned. "I thought we were waiting for Uncle Kenji, too. Why didn't you know he was home? Doesn't he usually come to visit us whenever he's here?" she said. She clutched Suki to her chest and stared at her parents for an answer to the very perplexing before before them. "I don't get it. What's going on?"_

_Her father shook his head. "We didn't know Uncle Kenji was with him, but now I'm suspicious," he said. He turned to his wife. "Kimiko, I'm going next door to get help from our neighbors – keep an eye on Sanae-chan and Akito-kun while I look for Sanji-kun." His wife stopped him as he was about to go out the door._

_"I want to look for him, too!" their mother said. She looked about ready to cry as she argued with her husband. Akito pulled his sister into another embrace, and Sanae watched her parents in fear. Why were they fighting? They had to look for Onii-kun! He was out there somewhere and now they were fighting! "He's just as much my son as he is yours! He's my baby! I carried him for nine months and gave birth to him! He's my baby boy!"_

_Their father nodded in understanding. "We'll have Leniko keep an eye on the kids after I get back, but for now someone has to make sure these two are safe – baby, this is bad enough. We can't let something happen to these two as well," he said. His wife nodded as he went out the door, and she wrung her hands in front of her._

_She turned to her remaining children and sat between them on the couch, putting an arm around each of them. "We're not going to give up on him, all right?" she said. The other children nodded and huddled closer to their mother. "I'm sure we'll find him. . . he's probably all right. . . just in trouble, that's all. Yes. He'll be fine."_

_She didn't sound very sure of herself._

* * *

March 6, 1:59 pm

* * *

"Onii-kun. . . never came back," said Sanae.

"Didn't the authorities look into your uncle?" asked Robin.

"No – no one but Akito and my parents took my claim seriously," said Sanae. "The Marines wouldn't listen to me and although they did question him, he said he hadn't seen Sanji all day – so I knew he was lying, but only my parents and my other brother believed a word I said. I wouldn't be surprised if the Marines took bribes from Stoker or my uncle to keep the incident quiet – since I started collecting bounties two years ago I've run across my own fair share of dirty Marines – some of them are worse than some of the pirates I've come across in my opinion. I mean, there's a guy who's got a bounty of thirty-seven million because a Marine was hitting on his daughter and he tried to get the guy off – true I didn't see it myself, but there was an awful lot of innocent people on that island who seemed to be siding with the man who's now become a pirate. The Marines claim absolutely justice, but they don't all live up to it. Taking bribes from a woman worth ten billion and her subordinates wouldn't surprise me in the least."

"So why did you start looking for Sanji after all these years?" asked Nami. She placed her hands on her hands and looked at Sanji's little sister inquisitively. "I mean, he disappeared from North Blue twelve years ago, and he hasn't been a wanted man for all that long. Why did you suddenly decide he was alive after ten years?"

"My parents. . . died while trying to find Sanji, and when Akito explained to me what death was, I thought that the same thing had happened to Sanji," said Sanae. She closed her eyes and looked away. "There was this cave on our home island that had a really deep pit and it was really dark, I guess. They fell into the pit. Our neighbors heard them scream and found them shortly after. Uncle Kenji said he saw them fall in while trying to find Onii-kun. . . I'm not sure if I believe that story as the complete truth."

Nami closed her eyes. "He murdered your parents."

Sanae nodded, clutching her stomach. "Technically, I don't know that for sure – no one saw him push them or anything – but I just knew I didn't trust my uncle anymore and everything that had happened was probably his fault. Truth is, I don't remember much after my parents left the house that last time – everything afterwards is kind of blurry, but I do remember Akito crying and hugging me and promising me that he would protect me for as long as he was able to." She looked up into the sky. "Akito wouldn't let me out of his sight for a second for a long time after that, and eventually he ran away with me because he was afraid that if our uncle got custody of us something bad would happen to the two of us, too."

"The two of you were alone, thinking that your parents and Sanji were dead," said Nami.

Sanae nodded. "That's probably what happens to a lot of Elizabeth Stoker's victims – they disappear, and eventually it's assumed they died. But about two years ago I found out that my uncle worked for her and had been working with her for more than sixteen years – he'd been sold Sanji-kun to Elizabeth Stoker – my guess is that he tricked Sanji into thinking he hadn't forgotton about his birthday and told him he was taking him somewhere special. That's also what makes me think that what happened to my parents wasn't an accident – if they found out about what he did to Sanji-kun, then I wouldn't be surprised if he got rid of them to keep them quiet. Plus, with them out of the way, he was our next of kin, and Akito and I were only children – of course he'd be the one to take care of us. If he'd gotten custody of Akito and me, he probably would have sold us to Elizabeth Stoker, too."

"So you two ran away," said Robin.

"Because of what I saw and Kenji's denial of seeing Sanji and the very suspicious circumstances of our parent's deaths, Akito decided it would be wise of us to stow away on a ship instead of risking life with Uncle Kenji," said Sanae. "Our plan was to try and find our grandmother, who lived on the Grand Line, but she moves around a lot and we never found her, but we did settle down for about nine years and became apprentices. But after what happened two years ago I took off on my own to get revenge on Kenji and possibly find Sanji-kun before it was too late."

"So you became a bounty hunter because Elizabeth Stoker's victims usually group up to be pirates, bounty hunters, or others who live on the edge of society since they tend to grow up alone," said Robin. "Hence, you thought your chances of finding Cook-san would improve if you looked for him in the place he most likely ended up."

"That's right," said Sanae. "That's why I need your help as much as you probably need mine – as you've already figured out, you don't have time to separately look for the rest of your crew, and considering I unintentionally put them on edge, I'm afraid they'll attack anything that moves if they don't realize it's one of you first, so it might be better that we don't run into them anyways. Regardless, those were only two of his minions – she has more, including my uncle, and we'll have more strength in numbers."

"You're anticipating we'll have to use force to get to Cook-san," said Robin.

"That, and I have an understandble bone to pick with my uncle – I'm a little surprised you haven't run into him yet, but he's her second in command," said Sanae. She clenched her fist in anger and turned away. "He just doesn't know when to stop hurting our family or the people we love. I can't let him keep doing this to people."

Nami closed her eyes. True, she hadn't been sure how Sanji had been exposed to Elizabeth Stoker at first, but the idea that someone he was related to had delivered him to that witch made her stomach churn, and seeing Sanae recount the details from her side of the story made it all that much worse. This was someone else who was hurt by what happened to Sanji. Someone that had spent the last twelve years not knowing what happened to her brother. Someone that Sanji probably worried and wondered about because he couldn't let her know he was okay.

The children Elizabeth Stoker garnished weren't the only victims anymore. Sanji's family had been all but completely destroyed by this. His parents dead, his little sister living as a bounty hunter, his uncle showing his true colors. . . poor Sanji. Nami couldn't imagine what it would have been like if someone she loved and trusted from Cocoyashi Village took her or Nojiko away from Bellemere-san.

The Iron Butterfly calmed down and sighed, turning back to the other women. "There's nothing I can do to reclaim the last twelve years. I'll never get the chance to grow up with Sanji, and our parents will never see the adults we're becoming. All of that is gone, and I don't think anything short of some Devil's Fruit can fix it. What's in the past is in the past, but the future hasn't happened yet. What we need to do is find Sanji," said Sanae.

"Do you know where we're going?" asked Nami.

The Iron Butterfly grinned. "Yes – I found a building on the island and, actually, ran into Sanji-kun," said Sanae. "Quite literally, actually. It seems as if he was able to escape or something and was trying to hide in a place I was using as a hiding place myself – we both panicked and I remember trying to escape and accidentally bringing him to the ground and them trying to get the hell out of there as fast as possible." She sighed. "The first time I see by brother in twelve years and I need to run away from him."

"At least he's still alive," said Robin. "But Butterfly-san is right – even if we know where their hideout, we'll still need to get in and complete his Mercy Task before Stoker gets to him – which, you'll be happy to know, Navigator-san and I think we might have already figured out, so that might not be a problem."

"Really?!" asked Sanae.

"We don't think he's even been kissed," said Nami.

Sanae raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"

* * *

Author's Notes

Another chapter, another bit of plot development, and now Nami and Robin have a much more solid ally. Yay.

Reviews are welcome and encouraged!

Dixxy


	11. Hae Hae and Meru Meru

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter Ten – March 4, 5:00 pm

* * *

Nami and Robin were following Sanae back to the compound she had found Sanji in, and the women were taking some time to exchange information. Largely, they wanted to see if Sanae could figure out any other possible Mercy Tasks for her brother, but they determined nothing. "Elizabeth Stoker can't assign impossible Mercy Tasks, such as finding All Blue, since there's no proof that All Blue exists," said Robin. "It must be something that Stoker can complete herself."

"Such as?" asked Nami.

Sanae sighed. "I've got one – I saw her drain someone."

Nami felt her stomach twist. "What happened?"

Sanae folded her arms. "Well, she assigned some poor girl a task involving drinking a very rare, expensive wine from a specific year – something I'm SURE she had stocked away somewhere before he even met the girl, never mind assigned her the task, or she has enough money that she was able to buy it very easily – and she forced it down the girl's throat. Because Stoker had a hand in completing the task, it drained her life away and Stoker got to live a little longer. Because Stoker is a woman. . ."

". . . she's already fully equipped to complete his Mercy Task and drain him," said Nami. "So that means that what she does can't be impossible because she needs to finish the Mercy Task herself. So telling someone to find All Blue would be a bad choice because even she probably couldn't find it. For something like what happened to that poor girl, she probably already has waters from all over the place – most likely discluding All Blue – and since she has lips she can kiss Sanji-kun with the proper restraints."

"Why do you guys keep talking about All Blue?" asked Sanae.

"It's Sanji-kun's dream," said Nami.

". . . eh?"

"Luffy seems to collect people who have some big dreams and ambitions to join his crew," said Nami. "For example, I want to draw a complete map of the world. Sanji-kun's looking for All Blue for his mentor, Red Leg Zeff. If it does exist, it's would be like a cook's paradise because fish from every sea would be swimming in it."

Sanae mulled this over. "He's got one tough task ahead of him, doesn't her?"

_And you need him to complete you dream._

_What?_

_Well, everyone here needs to complete a journey or find an object. Sanji wants to find a place – a place that, if it exists, you would need to put on your map, right? Although it's true that Chopper's Panacea might only grow in one place that could be marked on a map and Ponyglyphs are a bit too large to move and could also have their locations marked as well, you'd want to know where All Blue starts and ends, and I'm sure Sanji would want to know that as well, don't you agree?_

_What does this have to do with your little plans for me and Sanji?_

_You'd certainly get to know each other traveling around and mapping All Blue._

_And?_

_You might be alone. . ._

_NOW HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE!_

_It gets lonely on the seas! We've been over this before! Despite what happened before I don't think you want to be alone the rest of your life! Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like if someone wanted to be with you because they loved you and not because they saw you as someone to fuck?_

_A little._

_You've never had a relationship._

This was true. Though Nami had been with four men – all pirates that she offered her body to in order to escape possible punishment – she'd never had a boyfriend. As it was, she was the one who brought up the idea of letting that smelly pirate have her in exchange for her freedom – something she'd omitted when she mentioned it to Robin. It really wasn't a lie – when the pirate learned she was a virgin willing to give her up virginity for her freedom, he did give her a few other options. Letting him have her with a LITTLE gold would have gotten her passed around the rest of his crew (although he would still be first in line). For all the treasure on the ship she'd need to be the crew's "personal service girl" for a year.

_Do you really want to go through life without knowing something more than that? Even if it's not Sanji, do you really want to be alone for the rest of your life with just your money and your tangerines? They can't love you back, Nami. They just can't. They're things. Objects. Material goods. It's nice to have but they can't be all you have. _

Before Nami could continue to argue with her subconscious, She realized both of her companions were stopped before her. Peering over their shoulders, she realized there was a rather large, angry looking men standing before them. "Another one of Elizabeth Stoker's henchmen?!" Nami said. "Oh, they don't give up!"

But the man wasn't paying attention to Nami – he was fixated on Sanae, pointing at her and shaking in his shoes. The Iron Butterfly's expression was a little unreadable. "YOU! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!" he said. He pointed a rather large battle ax at the girl. "How are you still alive?! Are you a zombie!?"  
Sanae narrowed her eyes. "Just because I can't swim doesn't mean I can't get pulled out of the water, you dumb ass – and I am NOT a zombie!" she said. In a flash, she had retrieved her weapons, holding them at the ready. "I know your mistress has my brother, so if you'll just step aside we won't have to kick your ass to get to him, okay?"

"But we KILLED you!"

"Butterfly-san, what is he talking about?" asked Robin.

Sanae didn't take her eyes off the man. "Oh they definitely TRIED to kill me – they just failed, that's all." She growled. "But I'm actually not that mad over what this guy did to me – my beef is with my uncle. This guy's just one of Stoker's goons, anyways. Don't let his attitude fool you – he's not one of the ones we're after. Isn't that right, Booger?"

"You cocky little bitch! I'll make you wish you had drowned! AND IT'S BORGAT!"

"Whatever," said Sanae.

Borgat grinned. "You'll be sorry once you see MY ability."

Nami stepped back. "Uh oh."

"'Uh oh' is right, little lady," he said, grinning at her. "HAE HAE DROP!"

All three women were suddenly thrust into the air and slammed back into the ground – repeatedly. It was as if large invisible hands were beating them into the ground like rag dolls. "Robin! Can't you bloom something near him?" Nami asked as they were thrust into the air again.

"We're – AHHHH! - moving too quickly!" Robin said.

"I don't think I could hit him!" said Sanae. "This is bad!"

But the next time to the girl hit the ground, they weren't immediately lifted up again. Instead, Borgat was holding his shoulder and looking around. "Who's there!?" he demanded. "I'll kick your ass, too!" He closed his eyes and turned to the girls. "Well, perhaps it seems as if some of your other pirate friends have decided to join us!" His head snapped back as something explosive hit him into the face.

"Long nose-kun!" Robin said.

". . . what?" asked Sanae.

"One of our friends – he's a sharpshooter!" said Nami.

Sanae pointed at a tree. "You mean Sogeking?"

There, standing in on the branch of the tree, was Usopp – fully dressed in his Sogeking outfit (Nami groaned – _not this "Sogeking" bullshit again_) and pointing at Borgat in defiance as his legs shook like twigs in the wind. "As the King of Snipers, Sogeking, I will NOT allow you to harm these women!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOUR LEGS SHAKING!"

"HA! MERELY A TACTIC TO, uh, MAKE YOU THINK I'M SCARED!"

"He's petrified," said Nami.

Borgat shook his head, recovering quickly from the blow. "Don't think that's the last-"

"COUP DE VENT!"

And now Borgat was sent rocketing into a different tree, Franky standing at the edge of the clearing with a grin on his face. "You wanna try that again?" he asked. He struck a pose (which created more exasperation for Nami and a world of confusion from Sanae, who hadn't expected this kind of behavior from pirates worth more than 30 million a piece). "Because we're SUPER!"

"RUMBLE!"

"And here comes Doctor-san," said Robin, smiling as she sat up.

"JUMPING POINT!" Chopper emerged from the trees in Jumping Point (to which Sanae was now beyond stunned as she clumsily got to her feet), getting a very surprised reaction from

"You'll really want to consider running before our Captain and Swordsman-san show up – then you'll be very, very sorry you stayed," said Robin, standing up and crossing her arms. "CINCO FLEUR!" Several arms sprouted from the tree Borgat had crashed into and began slapping the man crazily, just in time for an Arm Point Chopper to join in on the face bashing.

"What. . . is that?" asked Sanae, pointing at Chopper.

"You know him as Cotton Candy Lover," said Nami.

"HOW IS THAT WORTH FIFTY BERRIES!?"

"Because the Marines are stupid."

By the time Zoro emerged from the trees – his bandanna on his head and his swords in hand, Borgat was well beyond defeated, so the swordsmen sheathed his weapons and leaned against a tree. Chopper and Sogeking began to celebrate – Franky was checking on Robin, and Nami walking towards Borgat – maybe he had some valuable information.

"Hey, Nami, what are you guys doing out here?" asked Zoro.

Nami frowned. "We've got a problem," she said. "You see, Sanji is-"

"SUGEI! SANJI HAS BOOBS!"

All attention was immediately turned to Luffy (who, oddly enough, had a squirrel wearing a pirate hat on his shoulder) and Sanae. The Iron Butterfly didn't seem to happy that the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates had grabbed both of her breasts and we looking at them with great interest. "How did you become a GIRL!?" Luffy asked incredulously.

"Could you please let go of my breasts?" asked Sanae.

"But this is SO COOL! How can I get boobs, Sanji?!"

"That's NOT Sanji!" said Nami, temporarily forgetting Borgat to berate her captain. She slapped him across the face (and in the process got him to let go of Sanae's breasts). "You idiot! Boys don't become girls just like that! And you DON'T go up and grab their breasts! EVER! Do we understand each other!?"

Luffy frowned. "But. . . she looks like Sanji!"

"This is Cook-san's little sister," said Robin.

"So. . . where's Sanji, and why is she here?" Usopp asked, pulling the Sogeking mask off.

Nami sighed. "Sanji's in a lot of trouble right now and if we don't find him by midnight, he's going to die," she said. She quickly explained the situation to the other Straw Hats (Sanae and Robin adding in notes where they felt appropriate) and turned to Luffy for an answer. Their captain had a very serious look on his face. "Luffy?"

Screaming a battle cry, Straw Hat Luffy lost his temper and punched a tree. "THAT ELIZABETH STOKER BITCH! SHE CAN'T GO AROUND AND HURT MY NAKAMA! I'M GONNA GO AND KICK HER ASS!" Then, he blinked and hit the tree again. "Huh?" Luffy hit the tree a few more times, looking at his hand in amazement between each blow. He tried punching the tree softly, then hard, and giggled.

"Luffy?" asked Nami. "It's a tree. And that's your hand."

"SUGEI! MY HAND IS SQUISHY!"

The Iron Butterfly quickly her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened. "Oh no!" Sanae said, walking over to Luffy with a worried look. Nami raised her eyebrow at Sanji's little sister, who began to apologize to their captain. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do it, I swear! Oh, I can't believe I let this happen!"

"Huh?" asked Nami. "Sanae. . . what are you talking about?"

Sanae frowned. "Well, when he grabbed my breasts I must've used my ability."

"Whatever it is it's cool!" said Luffy. "I'm squishy!"

"Luffy, let me take a look at your hand," said Chopper. He took Luffy's hand and examined it a bit while Luffy continued to laugh and hit the tree. "It is a bit. . . squishier. . . than before, but everything else seems to be fine – he doesn't appear to be in any pain and it doesn't look like he's lost any mobility. . . but Sanae, have you eaten a Devil's Fruit?"

Sanae nodded. "Meru Meru no Mi. The melting fruit."

"The MELTING fruit!?" asked Nami. "You almost MELTED our captain?"

"To be fair, Captain-san probably shouldn't have grabbed her breasts," said Robin.

Sanae shrugged. "I ate it because Anatak-sensei wouldn't let me train with Onii-san," she said. "I thought eating a Devil's Fruit would make me stronger, and because of that he allowed me to be his other apprentice. Onii-san wasn't too happy but he grew to accept it after a while. I didn't mean to hurt him – I don't like inflicting pain with my ability. It can really hurt people."

"You can melt FLESH?!" asked Usopp (who had since removed his mask). He shuddered and started to walk away from Sanji's little sister, laughing uneasily as he didn't take his eyes off Sanae. "Guys, I think I've come down with a sudden case of I-can't-stand-near-this-girl-disease so I think I need to go back to the ship."

"I can't melt flesh, but I can melt metals and plastics onto flesh and it hurts people a LOT," said Sanae. She sighed. "I usually only do that if someone's getting REALLY nasty with me or someone else, like this guy who threatened to have his way with me in a bar – he had a cheap ring on his finger, so I welded it to his hand and he was so busy screaming that he couldn't fight back when I dragged his ass to the Marine base. But aside from your captain, I can't hurt any of you with my ability without anything I can melt nearby, and I really don't want to try and hurt anyone who's going to try and save my brother's life – especially not when I'm this close."

Luffy flexed his hand and frowned. "My hand isn't squishy anymore."

Chopper sighed and took a second look. "It's back to normal, so you should be fine."

"He probably wasn't hurt because it wasn't direct contact with her flesh," said Robin.

Luffy pointed at Sanae. "Can I touch her and be squishy again?"

"NO, YOU CAN'T!" said Zoro, hitting his captain on the head. "You could get seriously hurt, and we're probably going to need you if we have to fight Elizabeth Stoker, remember? You want to save the idiot love cook, right? If you're too busy being 'squishy' you might not be able to throw a punch right!"

"I'm just glad he's okay," said Sanae. "I'll just have to be careful around him, that's all, but Zoro's right – we don't have time for Luffy to be grabbing my ass to make his hands squishy – we have less than seven hours left, but I'm pretty sure that if we ran into Borgat we're getting closer."

Luffy started to laugh and turned to the hat-clad squirrel, who jumped onto his shoulder. "We can make me squishy later, but first we need to rescue Sanji!" he said. He laughed. "Don't worry, you'll like him – he makes great meat! He's my cook! Come, Mr. Acorn, let's go kick that bitch's ass and get some meat!"

"Mr. Acorn?" asked Nami.

Usopp sighed. "You see. . . Luffy found this squirrel the other day. . ."

* * *

Author's Notes

I didn't ORIGINALLY plan on including Luffy and the others in this part of the story, but something about Borgat getting his ass kicked (despite being a minor character) and Luffy grabbing Sanae's breasts seemed to work better than Plan A (which didn't involve Luffy having squishy hands).

I also caught an error at the last minute. It would probably create a plot hole later on in the story.

Technically, the Japanese word for "melt" is "meruto", but that's one too many syllables to fit Oda's fruit naming pattern. "Meru" doesn't really mean anything, though. The English would be the Melt Melt Fruit, and the Japanese would be the Meru Meru no Mi. Simply put I couldn't find a Japanese word that has two syllables than means "melt" or something similar. "Hae" means "Fly", so Borgat was essentially making the girls fly – and crash land.

Review please :)

Dixxy


	12. Run Away

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter Eleven – March 1, Twelve Years Ago

* * *

_"Uncle Kenji. . . I don't like this place. Why's your friend here anyways?"_

_"She's a bit eccentric," said Kenji. He jerked Sanji's arm forward, and the child cried out – it hurt quite a lot, and his young body wasn't used to that kind of punishment. "Grow up – you're going to be what, nine or something? Grow up and be a man like your father and Akito, all right? Sheesh. What a baby."_

_"Eight," Sanji corrected through gritted teeth. He glared up at his uncle, who was knocking on the door of the abandoned ticket office. Something was very, very wrong about this whole situation. _Didn't he say he **didn't** forget? If he remembered tomorrow was my birthday, then why doesn't he know how old I'm going to be?

_"Come in."_

_Kenji opened the door and nudged his nephew inside, slamming the door behind him. Sanji swallowed hard, looking ahead of him to see a woman wearing a pretty pink dress with wild turquoise hair – she kind of looked like a model or someone really rich with fancy taste, so what did he want with a little kid like him? Sanji didn't even like it when his mom made him wear suits! _

_Still, seeing her in that old place was weird. She was such a fancy looking lady, but the old ticket office was in terrible disarray – lots of cobwebs, some broken beams, and lots and lots of dust. There was a table with a few chairs that didn't look too bad. A tea kettle sat in the middle, as well as a plate of cookies._

_"Ah, what a LOVELY child!" the woman said, standing up and walking over to Sanji, giving him a hug. She stepped back, looked at his face, and traced his eyebrows. She looked at his uncle in slight confusion as she traced over Sanji's eyebrows. "Kenji dear, is this young man related to you?"_

_Kenji cleared his throat. "He's my nephew – his thinks his parents forgot about his birthday, so I took him out for some ice cream before bringing him here," he said. He placed his hand on the doorknob and gestured to it with his head. "Should I leave now, or do you need more time?"_

_Sanji's eyes widened. "What do you mean I 'think' they forgot!?"_

_Kenji snickered. "Well you certainly don't take after your brother."_

_The boy's jaw dropped. "You. . . you lied to me! You know something I don't to bring me here!" he said. He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you doing this to me?! I thought I could trust you and now. . . I don't even know what to think of you!" Inwardly, Sanji was crying – things definitely felt very, very wrong now. _

_"Sit down and shut up until you're spoken to," said Kenji, glaring at his nephew with very violent eyes. Sanji whimpered, sliding into one of the chairs. He was starting to get very scared and wanted to go back home as soon as he could and get AWAY from him uncle. _Something bad's going to happen. . .

_"What's your name?" the woman asked, sitting across from him._

_"Sanji," he said. "You?"_

_The woman clicked her tongue and shook her head. "I'll be the one to ask the questions, okay?" she said. Sanji turned around to give his uncle a cold glare, to which his uncle responded with a much scarier look – the boy did an immediate about face and was, once again, facing the very scary lady._

_"Now, tell me, Sanji dear. . . tell me some of the things you've never done before."_

_"Why?"_

_"I already told you I'm the one who's asking the questions!"_

_Sanji swallowed. "I've never, um, cooked a meal."_

_The woman sighed. "Keep going."_

_"Uh. . . read a big novel all by myself?"_

_"Oh boy, this is going to take a while," she said, putting an elbow on the table and resting her head in hands. "C'mon, kid, I need something I can work with. Cooking a meal and reading a book are too easy, and I can't help you with those – I can barely cook myself and reading something by yourself is a very solitary act."_

_Sanji narrowed his eyes. "I'm a kid! There's lots of stuff I've never done before, lady!"_

_"Fine. I've got one – ever kissed a girl who wasn't family?" she said sarcastically._

_"WHAT THE – EWW!" Sanji said, sticking his tongue out. "That's dumb!"_

_The woman grinned. "So you haven't?"_

_"No – kissing's gross! Girls are okay when they aren't lame but ICK!"_

_The lady stood up and walked towards Sanji, a very frightening look on her face. She turned briefly to Kenji and produced a small bag. His uncle opened it, and Sanji saw glints of gold. His eyes widened as Kenji gave him one last look before silently exiting the ticket office, leaving Sanji alone with the strange lady._

_"You don't like kissing girls now, but you will," she said. She knelt down to face him, batting her eyelashes at him. Sanji wanted to bolt out of that shack and head straight home to hide in his bed and not come out for a week. "Think about it. Your mother is a girl and your father is a boy, and they kiss, don't they?"_

_"That's different – they're adults."_

_"And you'll be an adult someday as well, and then you'll want to kiss girls." Then, her eyes started to glow, as did the palm of her hand. Sanji felt a scream die in the back of his throat, and he was too petrified to move. "But when you finally want to be kissed by a woman, they won't want to kiss you!"_

_And then she slammed her palm over his left eye._

_Sanji screamed as he fell to the floor after being pushed by the woman, clutching his eye in pain. Not only did the impact of the lady's hit hurt, but it felt like the skin around his eye was burning and he could almost hear an acid-like hissing noise – even the skin around his eye was starting to FEEL a little different. He began to sob uncontrollably – it hurt so bad!"Mommy! DADDY! MOMMY!" he cried out, choking back even more sobs. _

_Through his tears, he looked at the woman towering over him. "You have until the clock strikes midnight on March 2, twelve years from now to have a girl willingly kiss you on the lips. During that time you will not be able to see anyone you've met before you met me, nor will you be able to tell anyone you meet over the next twelve years about what happened here, or else something quite terrible will happen to you – I would strongly advise you take that advice to heart because lots of other naughty little boys and girls didn't listen and ended up dead."_

_Still sobbing and huddled on the floor, Sanji looked up at the woman. He was hurt, scared, and terribly confused. He shook with fear, wanting to run to his family but too afraid to go in case what this crazy lady said was true. "Why? WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU!? I'M JUST A KID! LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

_"Because I am Elizabeth Stoker, and I need your life energy to life forever," she said. Sanji's eyes widened – he'd heard terrible stories about that woman, and now he was finding out she was real!? _That means I'm gonna die in twenty years if I don't. . . oh NO! NO, NO, NO! _"Get a girl to kiss you and you'll be free. Fail, and you'll be mine."_

_Sanji scrambled to his feet and started to run._

_And he didn't stop running for a very, very long time. . .  
_

* * *

_The next twelve years. . ._

* * *

_**My eye. . . it still works but I can't walk around with this thing showing! Then people might figure out what happened and. . . I've heard the stories about her and I know bad stuff might happen if people find out. At least my hair's long enough to cover it up – maybe that'll work. **_

_**Actually, my hair kinda looks okay like this. . . now I need to . . . leave. . .**_

_"HEY! What are you doing on my ship?! STOWAWAY! STOWAWAY!"_

_**I'm sorry! I didn't have a choice! Don't throw me into the ocean, please! I can swim but I can't swim that good! I'm barely eight years old and I need to kiss a girl as soon as I can so I can go back home to Mommy and Daddy and Akito and Sanae, but I can't go home right now!**_

_"Huh. A married couple in North Blue died looking for their son."_

_**MOMMY!? DADDY!? NO! NO, YOU CAN'T BE DEAD! **_

_"A job? You're just a kid – why don't you run along and find your mom, okay?"_

_**But. . . my mom's dead. . .**_

_"Filthy orphans running all over the streets. . . digusting."_

_**What's your problem, lady? I didn't do anything to you!**_

_"An apprenticeship? We don't have much. . . I guess the cooks could use someone. . ."_

_**Cooking? I've never cooked before. . . Mommy never let me near the stove or anything, and I always thought cooking was for girls anyways. But. . . it looks like most of the chefs here on **_**The Orbit **_**are. . . men. So does that mean that boys can cook just as good as girls? At least it smells kinda good in here!**_

_"Ne, Sanji, have you ever heard of All Blue?"_

_**Oh wow! That must be like a chef's dream! I wanna go there someday!**_

_"Ah, it's too bad All Blue doesn't exist – c'mon, let's eat dinner."_

_**Doesn't. . . exist? There's no proof it exists. . . but no proof it DOESN'T exist. . . so I'll go find it some day when I'm bigger! That would be awesome! A place with all sorts of fish to cook with. . . I guess I'm going to have to be a really good chef some day, too! But if it exists, I wanna find it!**_

_"It's the ship of Red Leg Zeff!"_

_**A. . . a pirate ship?! I can't die here! I have to find All Blue!**_

_"I. . . gave you. . . all the food that washed up here. . ."_

_**WHAT!? That mean old pirate gave me all the food so I wouldn't go hungry and ATE HIS OWN LEG!? And all because he believes in All Blue, too!? I can't kill this guy now! I just can't! Oh, this is bad! He's not doing so well! A ship needs to get here right now or else he's going to die! SOMEBODY HELP US!**_

_"Sanji, this is our restaurant on the sea – the Baratie!"_

_**Oh wow, this ship is so cool! Am I really your business partner, Shit Geezer? I must be one of the youngest sous chefs ever! Wait until I tell Akito and Sanae about this! Akito's gonna be so jealous. . . genius you may be, but I'VE already got myself a nice job as a business partner. **_

_**Now I just need to be able to get back to them someday. . .**_

_"Let's rob this place!"_

_**Zeff can't fight so well anymore now that his leg is gone – it's a good thing Patty and Carne were here, but I was no help. Then again, Zeff keeps telling me he thinks I've got a lot of strength in my legs, and didn't he used to fight with his legs? Even if he can't fight anymore, maybe he can still teach me how to do it!**_

_"Sanji, where the hell did you get those cigarettes?"_

_**Well excuse me, but I need to prove to the other chefs that I'm a man somehow!**_

_"Little boy, could you please get me another glass?"_

_**Man, this lady is annoying – she's had like, three of four glasses already! And yet I guess she's okay. And so is she. And her. Her friend, too. That one's not half-bad either. Or her. Wait a second. . . GIRLS CAN BE REALLY, REALLY PRETTY! MELLORINE, MELLORINE!**_

_"Ugh, go away! You're just a waiter – I'm not going to waste my time on you!"_

_**Why is it that as soon as I figure out girls are hot that they seem to hate me?**_

_"Happy Birthday, Baby Eggplant! How old are you now, nineteen?"_

_**. . . yeah. Happy fucking fantastic birthday to me, all right. Thank you, Shit Geezer. Thank you so much for reminding me that I'm a nineteen year old virgin who's never been kissed by a girl – and my mother didn't count this time – and is going to die in a year's time unless I do something about it. **_

_"I've found you! My chef!"_

_**What the hell is this. . . Monkey D. Luffy. . . talking about? I can't leave Zeff here!**_

_"I'm sorry, I seem to be a little short on money. . ."_

_**Who IS this girl? Her hair, her eyes. . . she's amazing! Her voice is angelic and her body is amazing! Too bad she's with that annoying busboy and the guy with the nose and that green-haired swordsman. . . but this. . . Nami-san. . . how in the world did she end up with idiots like these guys?**_

_**I think I'm in love! It's on the house!**_

_"He defeated Don Krieg? The Baratie is saved!"_

_**I. . . can't believe it. . . But I think I can believe the pain. . . ow. . .**_

_"It's his dream to find All Blue. He's a good chef – take good care of him."_

_**Damn it, Zeff's right – if I'm ever going to find All Blue for the two of us I can't stay at the restaurant. And besides, Luffy needs to go after Nami, and maybe. . . maybe if I get to know her and treat her like a queen. . . maybe she'll give me a kiss as a thank you one time. . . and save my life. . .**_

_**All right. I'll go with this kid!**_

_"ARLONG! I HATE YOU!"_

_**How could that repulsive fish man do this to Nami-san? Killed her mother and enslaved her for how long!? This is disgusting! I can't let him get away with it! Even if I do have to work with Zoro.**_

_"This is it! Loguetown! This is where Gold Roger was born and died!"_

_**. . . what the hell is that clown doing with Luffy up on that scaffolding?**_

_"This whale here's been waiting for fifty years to see his friends."_

_**Fifty years? That's an awful long time. It's only been about eleven and a half for me, but I think I know how you feel, missing people that mean that much to you. You must wonder where they are and if they're all right. I can't say I don't think that way about Akito and Sanae myself. . . I wonder where they are right now, anyways?**_

_"I'm sorry – please, take me to Arabasta!"_

_**Oh, Vivi-chan is so cute and innocent! Of course we'll take you to Arabasta!**_

_"Mr. 3, this is no time to be fooling around! Report. NOW!"_

_**Mr. 0. Sir Crocodile. Hmm. I wonder if I can take advantage of this. . . **_

_"It's okay guys, I'll be all right! We have to get to Arabasta!"_

_**Even Vivi-chan thinks we need to get you to a doctor right away – you're sick, Nami-san. I want to help the princess, too, but I think I love you too much to watch you get sick and die. You're really important to us, Nami. You're important to me. But I can't control myself around you or any other beautiful girl so I don't think you'll ever know it.**_

_"WAH! DON'T EAT ME!"_

_**What IS this thing?! I've never seen a creature like it! A reindeer that ate the Human Human Fruit? I still say it looks like it'll make good venison, but if he's going to help Nami-san get better then how can I possibly hurt him? He's one of her doctors – and at that, he scares me a lot less than the old woman. **_

_"Sanji-san is the only one that Baroque Works hasn't seen yet. . ."_

_**So what? Whoop-dee-friggin- do.**_

_"Sanji. . . did you have to pick out those outfits for Vivi and Nami?"_

_**Yes.**_

_"Mr. 0 and Ms. All Sunday have captured Straw Hat and everyone but the crew's pet."_

_**"Pet?" Do they mean Chopper? And what am I!? I'm in this crew, too! But, then again, if they don't know about me. . . they won't see me coming. . . all right, Chopper, we've got our work cut out for us! I have absolutely no idea if this is going to work or not, but we don't have much choice:**_

_**Just call me. . . Mr. Prince!**_

_"Do I remind you too much of your crewmate? Hmm?"_

_**After what he did in my kitchen last week I don't mind kicking Usopp's ass and he know its but you can't expect me to hit Nami-san! Even if I KNOW what you really are, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei. . . I CAN'T DO IT! I CAN'T HURT NAMI-SWAN! I LOVE HER TOO MUCH! I have to get him to stop doing that so I can bring him down and get Usopp's goggle-things back!**_

_"Where to now, Captain-san?"_

_**STOWAWAY – wait, she's hot. **_

_"Sanji, I didn't know you were from North Blue!"_

_**Heh, there's a LOT of things you don't know about me. . . like my expiration date. . .**_

_"WE'RE GOING UP THE KNOCK-UP STREAM!"_

_**. . . I'm following a fucking moron. Why are you following a fucking moron again, Sanji? Oh. Right. Because you need to find All Blue and you're in love with Nami. Living with the rest of the idiots – well, sans the lovely Robin-chan – is just the downside. That and nearly getting killed at almost every single stop on the way. **_

_"I'm sorry! It's my duty to turn you in!"_

_**How dare this Enel bastard call himself a god and do this to poor Conis-chan? And, uh, everyone else here. But this is really bad! He has over half our crew and the ship – though I don't MIND if he keeps Marimo-head, Luffy might – so we're going to need to go to Upper Yard and kick his ass.**_

_KA-ZAAP!_

_**. . . why does everything hurt and why am I lying this close to Usopp? Huh? Where's Nami-san? Last thing I remember is seeing that Enel guy and then. . . did he ELECTROCUTE me?! We're dealing with a THUNDER logia fruit? And he's kidnapped Nami-san?!**_

_**. . . the things I do for love. **_

_"Guys. . . I think we should avoid this Davy Back Fight – LUFFY, YOU IDIOT!"_

_**Oh joy – Zeff warned me about Davy Back Fights. Let's not screw this up.**_

_"Every organization Nico Robin has joined has fallen apart, with her the only survivor."_

_**I don't care who this Ao Koji guy is but – FUCK COLD!**_

_"Usopp's been beaten up! Let's go kick some ass!"_

_W__**ell, that was easy. Let's just hope this 'Franky' guy is on the same level as his family. **_

_**What the hell is going on with Robin-chan?**_

_"The Puffing Tom is now headed for Enies Lobby."_

_**Bingo.**_

_"Who am I? I'm the king of snipers – SOGEKING!"_

_**Usopp. . . I really, really want to kick you in the face but unfortunately we don't have time for that at the moment – just go find Robin and we'll figure out this whole "leaving the crew thing" later. At least we've got this weird Franky guy helping us out, right? That's. . . kind of a plus. . .**_

_"I WANT TO LIVE!"_

_**We're coming for you, Robin-chwan! Just hang on!**_

_**Why am I having tea at a time like this!? Sure Kalifa's hot but still. . .**_

_"You can look for the key here. . . or here. . ."_

_**I CAN'T FIGHT HER LIKE THIS! She's tough. . . I'm down – wait? Is she. . . feeling me up? Does she get OFF on kicking guys' asses? Does that mean she's going to kiss me?! ALL RIGHT! MY MERCY TASK WILL BE COMPLETED! But what's with all this bubbly stuff. . . and why do I feel so weird. . .**_

_**Oh fuck. I'm going to die looking like a soap bubble AND I'm still a virgin. **_

_"Sanji-kun? You're an idiot. . . but I respect you."_

_**DOES THIS MEAN YOU LOVE ME, NAMI-SWAN!? No? Oh. Well, at least you want me to rest up. . . even if I do look like this, I guess. . . that's better than nothing. Maybe you can kiss me to make it all better? Or. . . you could go fight Kalifa. And it looks like you're going to fight Kalifa and leave me here. . . all alone. . . covered in soap. . .**_

_"I've come to pick you all up!"_

_**Good-bye. . . Merry. . .**_

_"You've all got bounties!"_

_**SCORE! Now Akito and Sanae are going to know I'm alive AND I can shove it down the Marimo's – WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!? THAT'S NOT ME! THAT'S SOME UGLY SON OF A BITCH! NO, NO, NO THIS SUCKS! OH THIS SUCKS THIS SUCKS THIS SUCKS THIS SUCKS!**_

_". . . Ero-cook, you have any idea what's in Chopper's mouth?"_

_**It looks like a . . . Speedo. . . OH GOD FRANKY'S NOT WEARING ANY PANTS!**_

_"Sanji's birthday is in two days! He's going to be twenty soon and the rest of us are going to miss it – he'll have you two, but the rest of us are going to be in the middle of the woods when he turns the big two-zero."_

_**. . . I'm. . . almost out of time. . .**_

_"Sanji-kun, if you love me as much as you say you do then tell me what's wrong!"_

_**Nami-san. . . I wish I could tell you everything. . .**_

_**But I can't. I understand that you probably don't see me the way I see you and I guess that's all right as long as you're all right. I just. . . I don't know if I want you and Robin-chan to see me like this. I'm a dying man. . . Nami-san!? What are you. . . is this. . . are you about to kiss me!?**_

_"Sanji-kun! SANJI-KUN!"_

_**NAMI-SAN! HELP ME! I DON'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS!**_

* * *

March 4, 6:03 pm

* * *

_So. . . is this how it's going to end? After everything I've been through. . ._

Sanji looked up at the metal cuffs now binding his hands above his head – there's be no breaking these. Even Luffy or Marimo head would have trouble with the position they'd have to break them from. Besides – despite all the strength in his arms and especially his legs. . . he didn't think he could weaken these chains.

He stared at the door in determination. No. It wasn't over yet. There was still a chance Nami and Robin would find him in time, and a chance (although he admitted that he wasn't very confident in it) that his somewhat simplistic "Plan B" might buy him enough time for. . . something.

What, he wasn't sure, but it was THERE.

_Tick-tock, Sanji, tick-tock._

And even if he did survive this. . . well, what then? Certainly he would go back to the Straw Hats – they were his family now. But knowing that his uncle had killed his big brother and baby sister in cold blood? Sure he'd seen his crew mates move past painful deaths in their past – he couldn't even begin to imagine loosing his entire home island like Robin had – but he'd just found out about this. He'd need time. Even if it was two years ago. . . it might as well have been yesterday.

Akito and Sanae, his older brother and baby sister. . . _had been murdered_.

Sanji shook his head. If he got out of this alive. . . his shit uncle wouldn't.

_Then again. . . what about Elizabeth Stoker?_

Now there was a puzzle. Even if she was a terrible, self-centered witch of a woman who preyed on children. . . she was still a woman, and the idea of even HER getting struck made Sanji sick to his stomach. But he didn't like the idea of her continuing to hunt children, or find God knew how many others that had been Garnished after him and were just waiting for their own deadlines.

_Damn it! There's no easy way around this!_ Sanji hung his head – his throughts were running around in circles. Killing Stoker meant saving many, many lives and avenging countless others. Saving those lives meant betraying his promise to never again strike a woman that he'd made so many years ago. And he couldn't decide which was more important to him.

That was when he started to cry – uncontrollably.

Old Zeff was going to be let down because he couldn't find All Blue – even if Luffy and the others found it, it just wouldn't be the same. Besides, he would never get the chance to see it himself. Never would he get a chance to cook them a meal with fresh fish from all of the world's oceans. He'd never get to go the Baratie to tell Zeff himself that their dream was complete.

He wouldn't be there when Luffy found One Piece and became the pirate king, or watch Marimo Head battle it out with Mihawk. He wouldn't see Usopp become a brave warrior, or celebrate when Chopper found his panacea or Robin-chan found the True History or the Thousand Sunny reached the end of the Grand Line.

Nami-san would never show him her map of the world. . .

And there was nothing he could do to stop Elizabeth Stoker from hurting other people.

Nothing to stop his uncle.

Nothing he could do to ever read books with his father and talk about him growing up and becoming, or share recipes with his mother and introduce him to a girl he wanted to marry – though that he had come to terms with years ago. But now he'd never be able to sit and talk with Akito about brotherly things or protect Sanae-chan from, well, men like him.

And that hurt in ways he didn't think possible. He was stick in a terrible situation and for once he had no idea how he could solve it. He was going to die so young, and he was going to be letting a lot of people down. This wasn't just failing to complete a Mercy Task – he felt like he had failed at. . . everything.

_No. . . I won't give up. . ._

_Nami-san. . ._

* * *

Author's Notes 

I decided to throw in some irony into Sanji's childhood, not that there wasn't any before (the picky eater starvation thing). Thing One – Sanji didn't like being made to wear suits. Thing Two – Little Sanji thought girls were gross And Thing Three – Sanji thought cooking was for girls.

The "twelve years" part was actually kind of tough. Since I've been writing flashback stuff pretty consistently in italics (save the prologue), I needed to do something else to format Sanji's thoughts (as the bold faced stuff would be an interpretation of what's going on inside his head). I didn't look up any of the other character quotes (at least stuff that would have appeared in the manga – not things from this fic like Sanji being a stowaway or Nami calling to him as he's kidnapped), so if I got any direct hits on the exact quotes or was completely off, that's why. But I think I have everything in the order they would have happened in.

EDIT: Minor edit on 7.30.2007 - removal of some content.

Dixxy


	13. Rescue Mission

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 12 – March 4, 6:15 pm

* * *

It wasn't long before Sanae had led the group back to the compound where she'd found Sanji earlier. "Hopefully Stoker wasn't onto the fact that someone on our side knows where he is – otherwise we'll have to start the search from scratch and I'm afraid we'd be going from a rescue operation to a recovery operation." 

"Huh?" Luffy asked. "Why?"

"Instead of rescuing the stupid cook, we'd be recovering his corpse," said Zoro.

Sanae shot a look at Zoro. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Well, there aren't many other places on the island that Stoker could take him, right?" Usopp said. Sanae nodded, folding her arms. "So she's probably still got him here, and since we've taken down some of her agents, she might not know what we know. Besides, she might have more of her men in there and she might figure that'll be enough time to delay us from finding Sanji."

"Stoker is well-aware that Navigator-san and I know what's going on and has sent some of her agents after us already – Mr. Borgat was not the first of her agents that we have had to face – but I'm positive they did not want the rest of your involved," said Robin. "If she has discovered that the rest of you know what's befallen Cook-san, she will most likely be angry."

Luffy laughed. "Because she knows I'll kick her ass. Right Mr. Acorn?"

"So what do we do now?" Chopper asked.

"This might be a good time to split into two groups," said Franky.

"Two groups?" asked Luffy.

Franky nodded. "With a complex this big, it's likely there's at least two entrances. Plus, if we're in more than one group, we'll be able to search the building in half the time and get to Sanji a lot easier than if we were just in one giant pack," he said. He looked at the women. "Plus, we'll want to make sure that Nami and Robin are in seperate groups because they're girls."

"What about Sanae?" asked Luffy.

"If we're right about his Mercy Task I somehow doubt that I'll work," said Sanae.

Luffy stuck a finger up his nose. "Why not?"

Sanae narrowed her eyes. "Because I'm his sister and that would be gross?" She pointed at her eyebrows. "Sanji and I are related – that would be incest. Brothers and sisters aren't supposed to kiss like that. So it probably won't work, and this is assuming we're right about his Mercy Task in the first place."

"Get used to it – he's a bit slow on the uptake sometimes," Usopp whispered to her.

Luffy blinked for a few seconds before nodding. "Oh yeah! You look like Sanji with longer hair and boobs!" This resulted in groans from almost everyone else in the group except for Robin, who was beginning to divide everyone up into two groups (but still had a playful smile on her face).

Group One consisted of Luffy, Nami, Sanae, and Chopper. And the squirrel. Luffy had expressed an interest in being in the same group as Sanae, whom he was occasionally referring to as "The Squishy Girl" and Robin realized it was probably a good idea to keep Chopper near Luffy just in case something when wrong between the "Rubber Man" and "Squishy Girl".

Even if it was Luffy's fault anyways.

Group Two consisted of Zoro, Robin, Franky, and Usopp.

"All right, let's go!" said Luffy. "Let's more, Squishy!"

"Stop calling me that!" Sanae yelled, running after Luffy.

"What?"

"I'm not a squishy girl! I'm a MELTING girl!"  
"But you make ME squishy, so you're Squishy Girl!"

"UGH, STOP THAT!"

"HA, YOU'RE FUNNY!"

"I really hope we don't have to rescue those guys," said Zoro.

"I just hope we don't find a puddle of Luffy somewhere," Usopp said dryly.

Franky, meanwhile, looked a little lost in thought as he watched the other group disappear around the other side of the building (though they could still hear Nami yelling at Luffy and Sanae to stop arguing about the nickname "Squishy"). "Something about what Sanae said earlier has been bugging me."

"What?" asked Usopp. "Do you not think she's really Sanji's sister?"

Franky shook his head. "No, no, it's not that at all. I believe she's his sister – it's possible a bounty hunter could figure out a way to fake those eyebrows, but some little things in the way she moved and the shape of her eyes. . . that can't be faked as easily, especially from a cruddy wanted poster picture. It's when she was talking about her teacher," said the cyborg.

"Ah, when she mentioned Master Anatak-sama," said Robin.

"Who's Master Anatak?" asked Usopp.

"He's a really well-known swordsmith," said Zoro. "There's a very famous Anatak known for making swords and weapons. Although he's not as good as some of the great swordsmiths like the one who made Wado Ichimonji, he's probably amongst the best in modern times. If it's the same one Sanae mentioned, that means she was trained as a blacksmith."

Robin frowned. "And that her master was murdered."

Usopp froze. "Murdered?"

"It was in the papers about two years ago – Master Anatak and his two apprentices fell victim to an attack. One of the apprentices was all right but left a few days later, Anatak was dead before help could arrive, and the other apprentice was very seriously hurt – they weren't even sure he was going to make it," said Franky.

"That actually makes a little bit of sense. Butterfly-chan mentioned she had something else she needed to take up with her uncle in addition to what he did to Cook-san," said Robin. "Perhaps her uncle is the one responsible for what happened? And it would make sense that the other apprentice would be her other older brother, Akito."

"So if Anatak is dead and Akito didn't make it, either. . ." said Usopp.

"Sanae's out for quite a bit of revenge," said Zoro.

* * *

March 4, 6:33 pm

* * *

"An old wine cellar," said Nami. 

"This is how I got in before," said Sanae. "Sanji had escaped when I found him, but I know that Stoker found him again and brought him someplace else before I left the compound. Weird thing is, he just kind of stood there and gave her the silent treatment before he let her take him away."

"Sanji's really against hitting women – didn't we tell you that?" asked Nami.

The Iron Butterfly didn't look very pleased at the reminder. "Yeah, you did. . . but I don't think that was it," said Sanae. "Mind you he didn't look HAPP, but he was just kind standing there with his arms crossed like he was trying to stand up to Elizabeth Stoker. I know SHE was pissed, but it looked like he was keeping a relatively cool head for someone who was about to die."

"Maybe he's up to something?" Chopper suggested.

"Like what?" asked Sanae.

Luffy laughed. "Heh heh, he's gonna play Mr. Prince again, isn't he?"

". . . do I even want to know?"

"I'll explain later," said Nami, placing a hand on Sanae's shoulder. Though Luffy and Chopper had reminded her that if anyone could orchestrate something to buy them just a little bit more time, it would be Sanji. _Sanji's not an idiot – well, MOST of the time – so maybe those two are right. But how's he going to get himself out of this?_

"Uh, Luffy? Sanae? Nami?" Chopper said, tugging on Luffy's vest.

"Ya?"

"WE'VE GOT COMPANY!"

The humans in the group turned to see a surprisingly large group of men brandishing various weapons headed towards them – on all sides. Sanae groaned in exasperation. "Oh for crying out loud where did she GET all of these lunatics?!" she said, brandishing one of her rings. "Okay, Luffy, show me what a man worth three hundred million can do."

Luffy was more than happy to comply with Sanae's request and charged headfirst into the mob, letting loose a variety of his rubbery attacks. Chopper morphed into his human form (which was the best he could do for the time being as it was too early for another Rumble Ball) and Nami readied the Perfect ClimaTact as Sanae began to clash blades with a swordsman.

Mostly, Nami found herself very busy using her staff to block attacks, stepping backwards as a large man with a missing front tooth advanced on her. Usopp's workmanship was holding up to the punishment and she had to hand it to the marksman for at least giving her a weapon that could effectively block enemy attacks even if it did double as entertainment at parties.

By the time she finally found an opening large enough to clock the man over the head, knocking him out, Nami realized she'd fought herself away from the main fray – and away from Luffy, Sanae, and Chopper. _Aw great – this isn't good._ The navigator sighed and looked around, trying to figure out which direction she'd come from.

Behind her, she heard a deep chuckle. "Who's there!?" she demanded.

Nami spun around to see a man step out of the shadows, a bloodied sword swinging at his side and long brown hair held in a ponytail. Her eyes widened in anger when she spotted the swirled eyebrows – it was unmistakable who this man was. "You!" she cried. "You're that bastard of an uncle! You're the one who tricked Sanji-kun!"

Kenji looked at her in surprise. "Now how would you know about that?" he said.

"Sanae told us about what you did to him," Nami said.

Sanji and Sanae's uncle raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he scratched his goatee. "Ah, so my niece is still alive? That's interesting – I thought I'd had her killed," he said thoughtfully. "You see, Devil Fruit users don't do so well in the ocean, so I assumed she had drowned, but I guess I was wrong. I must admit, though, I'm very impressed she's survived after all this time and managed to find us here. She's tricker than I originally anticipated. Madame Stoker could use a girl like her, although I doubt she'd be willing to join us."

"You went after your own family!" said Nami.

"It's business," said Kenji, advancing towards her. "Please, my dear, I've heard rumors."

"Rumors?" Nami stepped backwards as the man got closer. "What rumors?"

Kenji snorted. "You were quite the little thief back in East Blue – a few of your previous targets remembered you quite well when they saw your wanted poster and I couldn't help but overhear about the exploits of the girl who would become Cat Burglar Nami. You've got quite a focus on money, it would see."

"So?" Nami said,

Kenji grabbed her chin. "We're not so different then, are we? We have similar goals."

"I'm NOTHING like you!" Nami said, striking him with the Perfect ClimaTact. "I didn't sell children to a monster who intended to kill them, let alone my own flesh and blood! You sick son of a bitch! You're his uncle! HIS UNCLE! I can't even imagine anyone from my village doing something like that to me or my sister! You sold him out!"

"And you wouldn't do the same?" asked Kenji.

Nami had to stop and think about this. Most of the crew had some kind of debt hanging over their heads (even Sanji, despite all of his pampering). She charged her crewmates left and right for almost anything she did for them – and then some. Nami didn't think twice about it, and had amassed a rather large treasure chest in her room.

_Nami, stop listening to him!_

_But it's true!_

_No, it isn't! Okay, so MAYBE you should cut back a little on charging your FRIENDS for every little thing you do for them – seriously, Nami, __**your FRIENDS**__ – but do you honestly think you would sell out one of your friends like they were NOTHING in exchange for money like this piece of shit did to Sanji? When he was a CHILD, none the less?_

_. . . no. I've thought about it, sure, but. . . you're right. I couldn't do that._

_And that is why you are NOT like this guy! You don't want to admit it, but I really think you care more about Sanji than this bastard ever did. He saw Sanji-kun as an opportunity to make money – and for that matter, he might've seen Sanae and their other brother in that same light. And maybe there was a point where you were ready to extort Sanji out of money, sure – but you wouldn't hurt him to do it._

_You stabbed your own hand so Usopp could escape from Arlong._

_Even when you were sick, you insisted the crew continue towards Arabasta._

_When Sanji and Usopp were electrocuted in Skypiea, you and Gan Fall protected them._

_You were worried when Franky Family beat up Usopp – and not just over the money._

_You went after Robin with the others when she was taken by CP9._

_You stood up for Sanji when Kalifa soaped him._

_And you went after him when Elizabeth Stoker came to drain him life force._

_Somehow, I doubt that Kenji man would have done that for anyone – even his own nephews and niece. Instead, he was ready to sell at least Sanji to a woman he KNEW intended to kill them for her own purposes. You would have never sold out anyone in your village for money. Now, you wouldn't sell out any of the Straw Hats. Heck, you took into consideration that, since Luffy was a pirate, that the rest of his crew would save him from Buggy the Clown – even if it was just Zoro at the time._

_I WON'T HURT MY FRIENDS, EVEN IF IT IS FOR MONEY!_

_There you go! Now go kick his ass and save your boyfriend._

_. . . oh I'll kick this guy's ass all right, but Sanji-kun is NOT my boyfriend._

_. . . not yet._

_. . . don't spoil the moment, okay?_

"You're wrong!" Nami said defiantly, pushing Kenji away – he was startled enough that was she was able to start a Mirage Tempo without him noticing, and his eyes were now firmly locked onto her water-vapor doppleganger. "Sanji-kun is my friend! One of my nakama! I'd never sell him out!"

Kenji shrugged, drawing his sword. "Very well then – let's battle."

Nami was a step ahead of him – she'd already completed the mirage for him to attack. Quickly, she slid behind her opponent as he attacked her image. He dropped his guard as Nami's horrified face seemed to disappear before his eyes and she tripped him, sending him crashing to the floor with a surprised yell.

"Very clever trick – how DID you do that?" he asked. Kenji grinned. "Devil's Fruit?"

"Brilliant inventor friend."

Kenji was on his feet in seconds, his sword at her throat. "Good friend."

"One of the best," Nami said, kicking him in the stomach.

From there they began to clash physically, Nami mostly blocking Kenji's slashes and trying to figure out how to find one of the others – she didn't have time to be messing around with Sanji's asshole of an uncle – she needed to find Sanji-kun! But as their battle progressed, Nami got more and more curious about the sword in his hands.

Why was it stained with blood?

"Ah, you like my sword?" he said, moving to try and slice her neck.

"It's stained," she said, leaning back and jabbing her weapon forward.

"Trophy blood," he said. "I have only had to draw blood with this weapon once before."

"Is that so?" said Nami.

"Yes," said Kenji. "I needed to discipline a naughty boy who wouldn't listen to his elder."

Nami recalled something Sanae had said earlier._"That, and I have an understandble bone to pick with my uncle – I'm a little surprised you haven't run into him yet, but he's her second in command. He just doesn't know when to stop hurting our family or the people we love. I can't let him keep doing this to people."_

_That blood. . ._

"Sanae was not the only one I tried to eliminate two years ago," said Kenji.

"You hurt Sanji's older brother, didn't you?" said Nami.

"It had to be done."

An image of Nojiko's smiling visage flashed through her mind, and the boiling anger she felt when she watched her sister's shooting. _Is this what Sanae wants with her uncle so badly? Is this the other grudge she has against him, aside from what this jerk has already done to poor Sanji-kun?_

_Did he really KILL his own nephew?!_

"You're a monster," Nami said slowly. _His ass is SOOO Thunder Tempo-ed!_

"I think I've had enough playtime," he said cooly.

"PLAY TIME!?" Nami snapped.

Before Nami could react further, Kenji was behind her, his arm around her neck. He squeezed, and she tried to scream. "I won't kill you – yet. Your bounty is worth much more if you're alive, so for now you can consider your life saved. But once Madame Stoker is finished with your previous Black Leg Sanji, we'll be taking a little ride to Mariejoa."

"Why. . . would. . . Marines. . . let. . . Stoker. . . go. . ."

"Because she won't be delivering your heads – we will," he said. Kenji's arm was now pinning Nami's arms to her sides as well. "And I don't have a bounty, and I don't consider myself a pirate. The Marines, however, will consider you a pirate, and I don't think they'd believe your crazy accusations that we work for a woman many of them don't even believe exists."

"You. . . monster. . ."

Kenji clamped a hand over Nami's mouth, and she could smell something sweet. . .

* * *

March 4, 7:00 pm

* * *

Sanji turned his head towards the door as someone stepped inside – much to his displeasure, it was Elizabeth Stoker. She stepped towards him, her shoes clicking against the stone floor of his prison and a glint in her eyes. "Oh come now, Sanjj-dear," she said, stroking his chin. 

"You've only got five hours to go before your first kiss."

* * *

Author's Notes 

And now some of these chapters are getting TOUGH to write. Parts of the next several chapters have been written, though.

Dixxy


	14. This Is MY Fight

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 13 – March 4, 7:20 pm

* * *

"HA, HA, HA!" Luffy said, placing a foot firmly on the pile of unconscious guards.

"That was impressive, Luffy," said Sanae, crossing her arms as she stepped forward. "Now I see why you're worth three hundred million to the World Government – when you put your mind to it and one of your friends is in danger, heck, I know I wouldn't want to be on your bad side." She smiled at Chopper and patted the top of his hat. "Even you did a good job without your Rumble Balls."

Chopper smiled and began to dance. "You bitch! I don't need to your compliments!"

Sanae raised an eyebrow and turned to Luffy to ask about the reindeer, but the captain was just grinning like an idiot. That left the navigator. "Nami, can you explain why – Nami?" The Iron Butterfly looked around, but couldn't see a trace of the red headed navigator. "Nami? Hey, where'd she go?"

"Yeah, Mr. Acorn is gone, too," said Luffy. "NAMI! MR. ACORN!"

Sanae narrowed her eyes. _This isn't good. . ._

Chopper sniffed the air. "I think she went this way."

"How can you tell?" Sanae asked.

"I can smell her," Chopper said, pointing to his nose. Sanae was about to compliment Chopper, decided against it and just followed him, with Luffy in tow. "She probably got separated from us during the fight, and since she hasn't come back yet, she either got really far away from us or got in trouble."

"Which is the last thing we need right now," said Sanae, hanging her head.

Luffy glared at Sanae. "Don't worry – I'm going to kick that bitch's ass and save Sanji and Nami! I'm the man who's going to be the Pirate King! If I can't even save my own nakama then what kind of a Pirate King am I going to be?" He smiled as Sanji's little sister looked up, then patted her head.

"I don't get you. . . but I like the part about you kicking ass and saving my brother!"

"Yosh! Let's go!"

* * *

March 4, 7:25 pm

* * *

"So they've gotten inside, you say?"

Sanji turned to where his uncle was briefly Elizabeth Stoker, who was idly playing solitaire to pass the time until midnight. His eyes widened as he listened to their conversation. _Did Nami-san and Robin-chan go after me? Are they really here? Then. . . does this mean they're going to try and rescue me?_

"Yes, and they aren't alone. The remaining Straw Hats have joined the two women."

Sanji brightened. _They found Luffy?! Luffy wouldn't leave me here!_

Stoker grumbled. "That's a headache."

"It also seems my niece is with them – _she's_ the Iron Butterfly," said Kenji.

Sanji's eyes widened. _Sanae-chan's with them? But. . . what?_ He couldn't believe his ears. His uncle had told him that he'd killed Akito and had Sanae bumped off. He smirked at Kenji. _It's not over, you piece of shit uncle. Looks like my baby sister's still alive._ Sanji closed his eyes. _I'm so glad she's okay._

"What are you smirking at?" Kenji snapped. Sanji glared at his uncle in response and turned away. "Don't think this means your life is going to be spared. Your friends have split into two groups, one of which has gotten itself hopelessly lost, the other of which I've already begun to splinter."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. _What the hell are you talking about?_

Kenji grabbed the collar of Sanji's shirt, pulling him close enough for the cook to smell the stench of his uncle's breath. He winced, partly from the fowl smell and partly because his uncle's very presence made him queasy. "I've already captured and detained that little red headed navigator – she put up quite a fight."

Rage filled Sanji as he attempted to lash out at his uncle, who stepped away far enough to trip his nephew up, leaving the cook to struggle regaining his balance with his hands boundabove his head. Kenji laughed as Sanji glared at him. _Don't think this is over you piece of shit – you don't know my friends._

_Even if I die here. . . they're not going to stand by and let you leave this island._

* * *

March 4, 7:50 pm

* * *

"This is where I found Onii-kun before," Sanae said. The three remaining group members were stopped in front of a small storage room, which seemed to be void of Sanji. The young woman placed her hand on the door frame and peered in. "I don't know how long it took him to get to here from where he was before, but maybe he's being held in this general area."

Chopper sniffed the air. "It does smell like Sanji, but he hasn't been here for a while."

"Can you tell where he came from or where he went?" asked Sanae.

The little reindeer shook his head. "It only goes in one direction – that makes me think he tried to escape and got caught around here before being dragged back to wherever they're holding him. Probably about a day ago, maybe two. Still, that means he's probably still alive, and possibly conscious."

"Stoker needs him alive until midnight," said Sanae.

"SANJI! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Luffy screamed.

"LUFFY, YOU IDIOT!" Chopper screamed.

Luffy blinked at him. "What? If Sanji hears us he can answer!"

The Iron Butterfly shook her head fervently at the wannabe pirate king. "No, no, no, Luffy! Onii-kun can't answer us if he's gagged or unconscious! That was a terrible idea!" said Sanae, slamming her food into the floor. "Luffy, now you've let the badguys know where we are!"

Luffy slammed his first into his palm. "Oh good – now I can kick that Stoker bitch's ass!"

Sanae whimpered. "Why do I even bother trying to argue with this guy?"

"Come on! If we move they might not find us!" said Chopper, transforming into his Walk Point to continue following Sanji's scent. Deciding that finding his cook and saving said cook's life was more important that getting into a fight, Luffy followed Chopper and the Iron Butterfly followed suit.

"If we find him, maybe we can hide him from Stoker long enough to get Robin or Nami," said Sanae, running alongside the captain. She frowned as they rounded a corner after the reindeer. "Although I'm afraid I can't go near him until we've got that resolved – I'll just hurt him."

"But isn't Sanji your brother?"

"It wouldn't be on purpose, but that's why victims of Stoker have to run away from home – being near anyone they knew before they were Garnished makes them really sick if they hang around too long, maybe even die. Once his Mercy Task is complete it should be fine for me to be near him, but right now I can't get too close," said Sanae.

Luffy frowned. "I wouldn't like it if I couldn't be near my brother – so we'll fix it so you CAN be near him and not make Sanji sick! You're his little sister – he probably wants to be near you, too – as it is he really likes girls so he'd probably be really happy to see you because you're a girl and-"

"LUFFY, NOT HER!" Chopper reprimanded.

The captain didn't get it right away. "Why?"

"I'm his sister?" Sanae said sarcastically.  
Luffy laughed. "Oh yeah! I forgot."

"Indeed, it would be."

The group skidded a halt in front of a man who seemed a bit amused to see them, a blood-stained sword in one hand and curly eyebrows on his forehead. Sanae looked angry and surprised to see him, leaving Chopper and Luffy little room to wonder who he was. "Kenji!" she snapped. "Get out of the way! I'll deal with you later, you scumbag!"

"Ah, so the cute cat burglar girl was correct – you ARE alive," he said coolly.

"Cat Burglar Girl?" The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates took a moment to this this over, then realized whom Kenji was speaking of. "NAMI! WHAT DID YOU DO TO NAMI!?" Luffy demanded.

Kenji grinned. "Oh, don't worry, no harm has come to her – we just can't have her running around free and completing my dear nephew's Mercy Task before my mistress is done with him, now can we?" he said. "For now, she's fine – leave quietly right now and we may let you all leave this island alive – well, except for the obvious, of course, but you're welcome to have his body back if you pirates have some kind of burial ritual you'd like to perform." He turned to Sanae with a toothy grin. "That extends to you as well, my dearest niece. Stay quiet about all this and you can live your days out quietly, seeing as I've already failed to kill you once."

Sanae growled and shook her head. "No way! I want my brother back!"

"So you're the uncle," said Chopper.

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "That animal thing talks? How amusing."

"Knock it off and leave Chopper alone!" said Sanae. She had her weapons at the ready and was pointing one of the rings at the older man. "I'm not letting you get away with this! With any of it! I'm going to rescue Onii-kun and Nami and then I'm gonna make you pay for what you've done to my family!"

"And just how much am I not getting away with?" he said. He began to count off on his fingers. "Let's see, I took your precious Onii-kun away from you, I pushed your parents to their deaths, and I tried to put an end to you, your dear Onii-san, and your master." Kenji smiled at Sanae. "So, am I missing anything?"

Sanae stared at him in disbelief. "So. . . you did kill my parents?"

"Well, they left me little choice," he said, advancing closer to Sanae. "If you hadn't told them what you saw, then I wouldn't have had to go to such drastic measures, now would I? I would have simply been able to wait a little while before luring the last of their children away. But with all that suspicion running around, I decided it would be easier to make myself your guardian, then I could make up some story about taking the two of you someplace far away from all the bad memories and no one would be the wiser."

The Iron Butterfly's eyes widened. "So it wasn't just Onii-kun you were after."

"Why take only one when you can have three?" he said.

Sanae collected herself and threw one of her weapons at Kenji, who dodged it. "You stinking son a bitch! How can you call yourself family after all this!?"

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Luffy shouted. The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates hadn't felt this angry since his encounters with Arlong, Crocodile, and the CP9, who had been all too cruel to his nakama – which was something that Monkey D. Luffy would NOT tolerate. In his eyes, this man had done the same. He thought about the people who'd hurt his nakama and friends. Alvida, Helmeppo and Captain Morgan, Buggy, Captain Kuro and Jango, Don Krieg, Arlong, Baroque Works, Wapol, Crocodile, Enel, Foxy, and CP9 and so many other World Government agents.

This bastard was another guy who'd done something bad to one of his nakama, and he wasn't going to stand for it. "You hurt Sanji and his family!" He punched his fist into his open palm and stomped his foot. He reached back, stretching his arm to prepare a strike. "GOMU GOMU NO BA-"

"Luffy, stop!"

Luffy was flabbergasted as Sanae stepped in front of him. He had no idea what Sanji's little sister was up to. "Step aside, Straw Hat!" said the Iron Butterfly. She had her back to him and her arm out, blocking his way as she began to step towards her uncle. "This is MY fight!"

"Huh?" he blinked in confusion. He frowned. "But, _I_ wanted to kick his ass."

Sanae continued to advance on her uncle, her weapons drawn. "I understand that you're angry that my uncle hurt one of your men, and you have my respect for caring about your crew. However, this isn't entirely about Onii-kun anymore. My anger runs much deeper than just what he did to Sanji and my parents – don't get me wrong, that alone was enough, but he didn't stop there."

"Sanae!" Chopper said.

Sanae stopped several yards away from her uncle, shaking in anger before shifting into a battle ready stance. "You're a complete monster of a man! What you did to Sanji and my parents was bad enough, but after what you did to Akito and Master Anatak-sensei, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

The swordsman grinned. "Are you upset over that incident?" asked Kenji.

"OF COURSE I AM! ANATAK-SENSEI IS DEAD!" Sanae said.

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and your previous Akito isn't?"

Sanae snarled. "You didn't kill him, no, but what you did. . ."

* * *

Author's Notes

Ah, this took a while. Thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter. It made me go back and look at this again, without the help of my normal OP beta (supposedly he's knee-deep in collegiate homework – which is a perfectly understandable reason to not be reading and critiquing fan fiction) and try to get this chapter out. Either way, I apologize for the chapter's brevity. The next chapter is longer.

A note on Sanae's nickname: I realized at some point that there's a band called Iron Butterfly, and that's probably where I got the name from. But I don't think it was intentional.

The next chapter I have a really tough scene to work through – technically it's written, but I'm not exactly happy with how part of it turned out, so it needs some work. Some later chapters have had work, so I know where I'm headed with this piece for the most part.

But. . . yeah. Next chapter, difficult scene. Joy.

-Dixxy


	15. Firelight of the Forge

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 14 – _March 1, Two Years Ago, Mid-Morning_

* * *

_"Hello, Mother. . . Father. . . Onii-kun. . . how have you been?"_

_Sanae knelt before the old family photo, lighting three candles in front of it. Her parents and her younger older brother – seven in the picture – were smiling back at the photo, but she liked to pretend it was her they were smiling at. "It's been another year. . . Onii-san and I have gotten older and wiser. . . but the three of you haven't changed a bit."_

_"Yo, Sanae!"_

_Sanae turned around to see her eldest brother, Akito, standing in the doorframe of her bedroom. "Ah, observing the anniversary again," he said. He stepped into the room and knelt down beside her, leaning up against the smaller girl's frame. "You look more and more like Mom every year, you know that?"  
"You think so?" Sanae asked, looking at a mirror. She could kinda see what Onii-san was getting at. She had her father's eyebrows (which she wasn't always fond of because some of the kids used to tease her about the swirls above her eyes), but she clearly had her mother's nose and eyes. Her hair was slightly lighter, but it was the same smooth texture. "And stop leaning on me – you're too big!"_

_"I'm a blacksmith – what do you expect?" he said, laughing. This was true. Akito was tall, solid, and stronger than most men she knew – his frame wasn't very big, but he did have a lot of muscle. Despite possibly possessing more strength in his arms than some of the local Marines, he was still one of the most gentle creatures she ever met._

_Of course, that didn't stop him from being an older brother, picking her up, and throwing her over his shoulder. Sanae screamed and began to pound at his back and kick wildly in the air as he carried her out of the room and into the forge that had been their home for almost nine years. "ONII-SAN! PUT ME DOWN! ONII-SAA-AAN!!! PUT ME DOWN THIS MINUTE!!!"_

_Akito just laughed and continued carrying his captive._

_Things hadn't been easy for the orphaned brother and sister – after their parents had died in an accident ten years earlier following the disappearance of the brother between them, Akito had made the difficult decision to run away from their home village in search of a better life for both of them (and it would certainly be something better than what their questionable uncle would have provided). _

_After a year of searching, they had found that home in the Grand Line with a grumpy old man named Anatak, a well-known blacksmith with a specialty in swordcraft. He'd taken Akito in almost immediately as an apprentice, but it took Sanae another couple of years and the consumption of a Devil Fruit before he relented and let her work with him as well._

_"Anatak-sensei!" Akito called. "Found her!"_

_Anatak was a short, pudgy old man with arms as thick as his neck and a beard that was shaggy and coarse from many years of gathering the debris of his forge and livelihood. Even though both siblings were considerably taller than the man, he commanded a strict kind of respect from his apprentices and foster children that neither one dared to question. _

_As it would be, he was sitting in his favorite chair with a long, brown-paper package lying across his lap. Akito let his sister down, and she frowned at the package. "Aw, you're sending me on another errand, Anatak-sensei?" she asked. "Don't you need me to help fill the order from the Marines?"_

_"You've still got a long way to go if you think you'll be making something worthy of the Marines," said Anatak, pushing the package into Sanae's arms. "This is a ceremonial blade for the mayor's son – he's returning from training with the Marines to marry, and it's been requested that he carry something ornamental during the ceremony."_

_Sanae smiled. "Well, at least it's an important errand this time!"_

_"THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT ERRANDS!"_

_Sanae frowned. "What about that laundry errand you sent me on last week?" she said._

_"Well, that's what you get for lighting my apron on fire."_

_"It was an accident!"_

_"Can we just drop the apron argument?" Akito asked, stepping between the two. His sister and mentor calmed, but he looked pleadingly to his teacher. "Before she goes, is it all right if I show her the project I finished this morning?" The mention of the project seemed to calm their teacher, and he nodded enthusiastically._

_"Yes, yes, of course!" he said. He turned to Sanae. "If you keep studying hard and perfecting your abilities, you'll be able to make something as extraordinary as what your brother finished this morning, Sanae." Sanae looked at her brother in curiosity, who only grinned wildly as he led her to his corner of the forge._

_There, lying on his worktable, was a beautiful, silver katana._

_Sanae placed the package on the table and picked up the sword. "Onii-san!" she said. "This is amazing!" She gently waved it around, her eyes wide in astonishment. "It's balance, its length. . . it's a masterpiece! This is the kind of sword that any swordsman would love to their their hands on!"_

_"Anatak-sensei says it's the start of my own legacy!" he said. After Sanae put the sword down, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "One day the two of us will be world famous as the best sword-smiths the world has ever seen! Even old Mihawk would want to visit our forge! Wouldn't that be something, Imouto-chan?"_

_Sanae frowned. "I'm still a long way from anything like this, Onii-san," she said._

_"Yeah, but you're getting better. Just think about those ring-blades you made – they're really cool!" he said, grinning wildly. He pointed at the twin blades in the corner, which Sanae was trying to learn to use on a wooden post in the backyard (although so far, the post was "winning"). "They're a good mix of long range and close combat weaponry – it's a very good start."_

_"You think so?" asked Sanae_

_"Your brother has a point, they're very nice, BUT GO GET YOUR SCRAWNY ASS DOWN TO THE MAYOR'S HOUSE RIGHT NOW!" Anatak fumed, waving his arms high above his head. Sanae nodded, kissed the old man on his bald spot (which made the old man grumble a bit in response) and walked out the door with the package in hand._

* * *

_March 2, Two Years Ago, Mid-Afternoon_

* * *

_After being forced to wait for a couple of hours for a meeting to let out, Sanae finally delivered the package to the mayor. As was expected, he was pleased with Anatak-sensei's work and told Sanae to send him his regards. She nodded, accepted the payment, and left the mayor's office and started back home._

_Coldstone Island, despite it's name, wasn't a bad place to grow up, Sanae thought. Although many of the inhabitants worked in the mines, the quarries, or as artisans and other craftsmen, the main street was still lined with several small shops and places to eat and talk. Over the years Sanae grew to like the atmosphere, although she still deeply missed her home in North Blue with her parents and having both of her brothers._

_She didn't have many friends in town – she was on excellent terms with Anatak-sensei's patrons and a few of the shop owners, but she didn't have any friends her own age. The other girls in town thought she was weird for wanting to be a black smith, and the boys were a little freaked out by her Devil Fruit abilities, but Sanae didn't mind too much._

_Sanae had found and eaten the Meru Meru no Mi when she was about eight years old, two years after she and Akito arrived on Coldstone Island. It was simply lying on the shore, and she somehow got it back to the forge without either her foster father or her brother the wiser. They would be mad if they knew what she was doing._

_Despite being a very feminine little girl with dolls and dresses, traveling on the open seas with her brother for a year had given her a taste of things much more masculine and less childlike. She saw bounty hunters, Marines, and pirates and all sorts of strong men, and she decided that she wanted to be like them. When they'd ended up on the shores of Coldstone Island and Anatak-senshi had begun training Akito to be a blacksmith, Sanae decided that would be a good start to becoming stronger. _

_The trouble with that plan, at first, had been Anatak-sensei. Sanae wasn't very strong, and he was afraid she was going to hurt herself using the heavy tools of the trade. Still, that didn't deter Sanae. She had been begging Anatak-san to take her as an apprentice, too, but he insisted it wasn't safe for her and wouldn't allow her to learn – at least, not under him._

_Eating a Devil Fruit, she realized, might change his mind. Devil's Fruits could do weird things to a person's body, and if the fruit would help her be a stronger person and work in the forge, she was willing to be a hammer if it meant following her dream. It would prove something to him, maybe._

_So, without even bothering to figure out which fruit she had, Sanae took a bite. But when nothing happened, she began to wonder if it was just a nasty tasting, weird looking fruit and went to bed thinking that nothing had changed. Disappointed, she began trying to think of something else. She would need to find another way to convince Anatak-san she could be a good blacksmith._

_And then her fork and spoon melted the next morning at breakfast._

_At first Sanae was confused until Anatak-sensei and Onii-san started yelling at her, demanding to know if she ate any strange fruits. Sanae had brushed it off as nothing more than a nasty tasting fruit, but when she showed it to her brother and foster father, they confirmed that it was, indeed, a Devil's Fruit, and upon further investigation, pinpointed it as the Meru Meru No Mi – the melting fruit. Sanae now had the power to melt down metals, plastics, rubbers, and ice at room temperature._

_And with a little time to learn to control her powers, Sanae demonstrated to Anatak that, with her ability, she could make metals just malleable enough that she could pound them very easily into weapons, horseshoes, and whatever else needed to made without needing to resort to the brute strength most blacksmiths used. Seeing that she really was capable of learning the craft, Anatak relented and Sanae began her apprenticeship._

_Seven years later found Sanae nearly at the end of her apprenticeship. Akito had officially finished his study with their master, but since Anatak was getting older, it was good to have a younger, more hearty blacksmith around to help him fill orders and help finish his foster daughter's apprenticeship._

_Plus, Anatak was basically family to them at this point. He'd picked up raising them where their parents had left off, getting them through the toils of late childhood and puberty with relative success (though he did politely ask the mayor's wife to give Sanae "the talk" and a few other things he didn't feel an old man would be able to help a little girl going through puberty with). He'd made sure they got a basic education outside of the forge and got them to the town doctor when they were sick. All things considered, he was making a decent father figure._

_Since she didn't expect to have a lot of work to do, and she had a little spending money of her own (although Anatak didn't think she was ready for forging weaponry full-time just yet, he had to admit her smaller hands and Devil Fruit allowed her to do superior work in other metal-crafts), Sanae decided to get some ice cream and go for a walk . _

_As she walked down the street, she caught a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. _Hmm?_ Blinking, she decided to take a second look. Once she turned her head to get a better glimpse, she dropped her ice cream and stared in shock at the man turning a corner. Eyes wide, her jaw dropped as alarms began to go off in her head._

No way, it can't be . . . Uncle Kenji?_ Sanae couldn't believe what she was seeing. Although she could vaguely recall Kenji's job required him to travel a lot, she never expected she'd see him all the way out there in the Grand Line. _What kind of business does he have here? Something's not right about this.

_Sanae watched from what she hoped was a safe distance before starting to follow him._

* * *

_March 2, Two Years Ago, Late Night_

* * *

_Kenji hadn't done much of interest – he bought some food and basic travel supplies, talked to some women in a bar, and took a few minutes to look at some wanted posters. Sanae was about to give up – it was getting close to midnight, after all – before he turned into an alley that she knew didn't have much of interest._

_Now THAT was suspiscious enough to keep following him. Quietly, Sanae followed him into the alley and around several corners. It wasn't easy staying out of sight – he was constantly looking around for anyone following him, and on several occasions Sanae was certain he could see her. Finally, he ducked into an old, abandoned bakery. _

_The little blacksmith frowned – she couldn't follow him through that door, but there were some windows open a little higher up, and some old crates she could climb – local kids probably used them to sneak into the building to do God knows what without their parents or the Marines finding out about it. Swearing under her breath, Sanae started to climb up the boxes._

_When she reached the top, she slid through the open window and was pleased to see that the building was all one giant room with catwalks for upper levels – and her uncle was in the middle of the room, seemingly waiting for someone. Slowly, she got down on all floors and crawled across the catwalk._

_Within a few minutes of waiting, someone else arrived – specifically, three someone elses. One was a woman with wild teal hair, another was a young woman around twenty or so with purple hair and freckles, and the last was a large man with a bushy red beard and mustache. The girl looked really upset, and was being held by the bearded man against her will._

This doesn't seem good. . ._ Sanae thought to herself. _

_"She almost escaped – Borgat spotted her trying to get to the shipyard, but was able to stop her in time. She's a lively little one, isn't she?" said the woman, gesturing to the purple haired girl. "I'm glad you've arrived – we could use the extra help keeping an eye on her, Kenji-dear. You know how much I hate it when they try to escape."_

_Kenji bowed to the woman. "Yes, Madame Stoker."_

_Sanae raised an eyebrow. Wasn't that the last name of that monster-woman who made children disappear and ate their souls after twelve years? _I always thought that was just a story Papa used to tell us when we were kids. . . this has to be some kind of creepy coincidence! _Sanae shook her head – as much as her gut told her not to trust her uncle – even after ten years – there's no way he'd work with such a terrible person._

Right?

_Madame Stoker turned to the girl and grinned. "Not long now, hmm?"_

_"Leave me alone!" she cried, only to receive a slap from the other woman._

_"SILENCE!"_

_Sanae watched the woman berate the girl, who seemed completely terrified._Even if she isn't the monster woman. . . I can't just stand here while that girl gets the beating of her life! _Sanae tried to consider her options when the angry woman ripped the girl's shirt, revealing a strange tattoo on her shoulder. _

_"Twelve years without tasting the finest vintage of vintage wines. . ."_

_The girl started to shake her head. "No! No, no please!"_

_The woman produced a vile of liquid, which the girl watched in horror – the bushy bearded man and her uncle held her tightly so she couldn't move. A slight popping sound could be heard as the bottle was opened. The girl was whimpering now, sobbing about her mother and father, and asking not to die._

What's in that bottle that she's so afraid of?

_"Your Mercy Task was to taste a bottle of the finest of rare wines, Oleaur de Perriere – but it appears as if you were unable to do so," said the woman. The girl was crying more outright, and Sanae felt sick to her stomach. She tried to jump out, but her body refused to budge. _

Sanae! No! Get your ass moving! You have got to do something to save that poor girl! Something really bad's going to happen! What's wrong with you!? Why are you sitting there!? DO SOMETHING!_ But it was no use – she was completely frozen in fear, save for a bit of shaking. _

_The woman shook the vile as tears continued to stream down the young woman's face. "This vile contains a mouthful of this very, very fine wine – it's a personal favorite of mine, so it's shame that it's so expensive and difficult to find. But, know this – __**I will enjoy your life force greatly.**__" With that, the girl cried one last no as the bottle was forced into her mouth and tipped upwards._

_Then the girl stopped moving._

_Sanae's eyes widened. _This. . . this must be. . . that vile woman. . .

_"Do you feel well, my dearest Elizabeth?" asked Kenji._

SHIT! IT IS HER! THE MONSTER WOMAN ELIZABETH STOKER!

_"I feel delightful," said Elizabeth Stoker. She turned to her uncle and grinned. "I'll give you your payment for this young lady later today – once we've disposed of her body properly. Where did you say you found her again? Somewhere in South Blue? South Blue girls are quite good for my skin. . ."_

_"Ah, that was a lovely island," said Kenji. "White Star Island, I believe." He turned to the bushy bearded man. "Borgat, go leave her in a gutter somewhere – they'll think she's a prostitute who had far too much rum if you splash some on her clothing. Just another dead call girl."_

_Sanae watched in horror as the girl's dead body was slumped over Borgat's shoulder and taken away. Her eyes turned back to where her uncle and his employer were standing and talking. "So, have you spoken to Master Anatak about procuring a new sword?" asked Elizabeth Stoker. "Your last one broke rather easily – I won't have one of my best men without a sword."_

_"I haven't spoken to the old coot, no. Master Anatak is amongst the best of the best. I'm going to need my payment for that little girl if you expect me to be able to afford one of his finer pieces," said Kenji. He sighed. "He's one of the last great sword makers alive – certainly one of his blades will do me well."_

_"Just as long as he doesn't know you work for me," said Elizabeth Stoker. She snarled. "It's rather unfortunate when people find out you or any of the others do and we have to dispose of them – I don't like having to kill people unless they've been Garnished. It's more work and cover-up than we need."_

_"Yes, my lady."_

_"As it was you almost cost us a lot with the incident from ten years ago," said Stoker._

_Sanae felt as if a rock had dropped to bottom of her stomach. _He didn't.

_"Oh, you mean brother's kid?" he said. "At least we got ONE from that incident, and if my little brat of a niece hadn't spotted me walking off with Sanji, we probably would have gotten her and the other one, too." Kenji laughed. "Ah, it was almost a huge loss, but even though Akito and Sanae got away, Sanji will be ready for you in about two years."_

_With that, Sanae lost control and started to scream. _

_Which easily got the attention of Kenji and Elizabeth Stoker. Sanae placed a hand over her mouth in time to see her uncle had spotted her and started to climb up towards the catwalk. "HEY! WHO ARE YOU!?" he demanded. Sanae shrieked and started to run towards the window, but was stopped short as her uncle grabbed her wrist. _

_Sanae cried out as Kenji pulled her hat off her head. He looked a little dumbfounded for a moment. _Maybe he won't recognize me after ten years. . ._ she thought wishfully. But seeing his eyebrows reminded her that, without her favorite hat, it was a dead giveaway who she was. "What the. . .? Sanae?!"_

_"YOU. . . YOU. . ." Sanae was trying to jerk her hand away from her uncle. "YOU SOLD ONII-KUN TO THAT MONSTER!? HOW COULD YOU!? YOUR OWN NEPHEW!? YOU BASTARD! YOU SICK BASTARD! SANJI'S YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD AND YOU JUST SOLD HIM LIKE HE WAS SOME KIND OF DOG!? I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! YOU MURDERING SCUM BUCKET!"_

_Kenji growled. "You know too much. . ."_

_Sanae bent towards her hand and bit down – her uncle cried out in pain as Sanae dashed out the window and down the boxes, the whole while able to hear Elizabeth Stoker screaming at her uncle. She had to get to the Marines! She had to let them know Elizabeth Stoker was in town and that she was real and-_

_Once she was on the ground, she found herself face to face with Borgat. "Uh oh."_

_"If she's here, then so is her brother. Kill him." Sanae was about to scream, but Borgat covered her mouth with his hand. He uncle stepped closer, pulling something from his pocket. He waved it before Sanae, and she felt weak. "Ah, so she's an ability user – careful now Borgat. We don't want her to take advantage of you, now do we?"_

_"Relax – there's a cliff outside of town. I'll just throw her off – she'll sink right to the bottom of the ocean," said Borgat. Sanae's eyes widened and she started to panic, only resulting in her captor holding her tighter. "Sorry, pretty little lady, but we can't have anyone telling the Marines we're in town, now can we?"_

_Kenji snickered. "She's going to sink like an iron butterfly."_

* * *

_March 3, Two Years Ago, Wee Hours of the Morning_

* * *

_Sanae screamed once Borgat threw her into the sea, her arms flailing about as she tried to grab onto anything before she hit the water. Tears streamed from her eyes as she tried to fight the inevitable. _I can't die here! I can't! I can't leave Onii-san and Master Anatak! I have to find a way to live!

_Continuing to fall, Sanji's seven-year-old smile from a decade ago flashed in her mind._

Onii-kun. . .

_Before she hit the water, she grabbed a large root jutting out the side of the cliff, which shook a large rock loose. Sanae watched as it hit the ocean waves below, then looked up to see Borgat gone. _He must have heard the splash and assumed I'd fallen in the water, so he thinks his work is done. But I'm not dead yet – there's still time to do something!

_Wearily, Sanae began to climb back up the cliffside._

* * *

_March 3, Two Years Ago, Wee Hours of the Morning (One Hour Later)_

* * *

_It took a while, but Sanae finally made it back to solid ground. Gasping for breath and clutching the grass on the ground, she realized just how lucky she was. _If I didn't catch that root. . . I'd probably be dead right now._ Wearily, she got to her feet – she needed to let her brother know what was going on. Despite spending an hour scaling a cliffside, Sanae began to run for the forge._

Onii-san will know what to do! Uncle Kenji. . . he's a terrible man! _Sanae ran hard and fast, fear and adrenaline fueling her weary body. She thought about what she had seen, and what her uncle had done to Sanji. Images of her brother being led away crawled through her mind, and horrible scenes of Elizabeth Stoker marking him began to weave together. _He must have been so scared. . . so alone. . . and yet so close to home!

_When the forge was finally in sight, she was surprised to see the lights still on. _They must still be awake, up waiting for me, maybe,_ she thought. She was a little relieved and cracked a smile. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she hung her head and leaned against a tree. _I have time to warn them before -

_"ANATAK-SENSEI!"_

_Sanae's eyes widened at the sound of Akito's cry. _Oh no!

_The girl practically flew the rest of the way to the forge – just now seeing that the door was ajar – arriving to the sound of clashing metal against metal. _Oh no! A fight! _Staying in the shadows, she tried to move closer to the sound. _Why is someone fighting inside the forge? It doesn't make any. . .

_Sanae stopped short to find Anatak-sensei's body lying in the doorframe._

_He was lying in a pool of blood, and he wasn't breathing._

ANATAK-SENSEI!_ Sanae dove to his side, trying to find a way to revive her teacher. But he wasn't responding to anything – he wasn't breathing, and his eyes were fixated on the stars. Tears began to stream down her face as Sanae tried to hold back the contents of her stomach._

_Anatak was dead._

_And the horrors of that night were not over yet._

_Sanae could see shadows on the wall and heard the clashing of metal against metal. Akito and Kenji were locked in combat in the forge. Craddling Anatak's body, frightened of what was to happen next, she watched as her brother and her uncle parried sword slashes in the firelight. Akito was using what little he knew about swordsmanship from forging weapons to try and keep up with Kenji, who was clearly the more skilled of the two._

_"You killed my sister!" Akito screamed. "You son of a bitch!"_

_"A necessary sacrifice for the cause!" said Kenji, laughing as he effortlessly blocked Akito's attacks. He sidestepped a more direct attack, grinning as he continued to mock his nephew. "And in two years time, your dearest brother Sanji will be just as dead as you and your baby sister!"_

_"What did you say!?" Akito was shocked by the comment, giving Kenji a wide opening._

_The swordsman stabbed. _

_A sickening scream followed as the sword in Kenji's hand dove into Akito's stomach._

_Sanae felt the world begin to slow down as she mentally screamed. _**AKITO!**

_The world seemed to slow down as Kenji withdrew the sword from Akito's middle, the younger man falling to the ground, clutching his stomach and coughing violently. "I doubt you'll last to the dawn," said their uncle. He coolly looked over the sword. "I must say, this is a fine sword you've crafted – I'll enjoy using it."_

_"Why. . ."_

Akito, AKITO! Oh God, oh God oh God ohGodohGod. . . .

_Casuaully, Kenji left, and Sanae rushed to her brother's side. "Akito! Onii-san!" She held his arm, looking at him in horror. There was so much blood, she was amzaed he was still conscious. Her brother looked at her wearily, shaking slightly as he reached up to touch her cheek with a bloody hand. "Akito-san! Akito!"_

_"Sa. . . nae. . . chan. . ." he said slowly. "I. . . thought. . ."_

_Sanae shook her head. "I'm okay, don't worry about me."_

_"I. . . couldn't. . . stop. . ."_

_Sanae shook her head. "No, no, no. Worry about yourself right now – that guy is worthless." Akito caughed, and Sanae braced his shaking torso. "Don't move – I'm going to go get help! Everything's going to be all right," She stood, making sure her uncle was not in sight, and flew out the front door._

* * *

_March 3, Two Years Ago, Mid Day_

* * *

_Sanae sat beside her brother's bed of the island's only doctor's office. He was sleeping and breathing heavily, but he'd made it through the rest of the night – something Dr. French hadn't been convinced he would be able to do. _Onii-san. . . Akito. . . please be all right. . . I don't want you to die on me. . .

_Although by the time Sanae had woken up the closest neighbors Akito was still breathing (unconscious and bleeding profusely, but still alive), their foster father was, as Sanae had feared, beyond revival. Their neighbor, a retired Marine, said that he was probably dead before he hit the ground._

_Unable to do anything for Anatak-sensei at the moment, Sanae stayed with Akito._

_When Dr. French came back, she looked at him in anticipation. "Doctor. . . how is he?"_

_"His condition. . . isn't good," said the doctor. _

_"He's dying?"Sanae asked in horror. _

_"We don't know that," said Dr. French, taking a seat on the other side of the bed. "It's unlikely he will survive, but there is a chance he could. We'll know better in a few days. . . if he survives that long." The older man looked sadly at the young blacksmith, brushing brown hair out of his patient's face. "He's a strong young man, so he might make it."_

_"Then that means everything will be okay, right?" said Sanae. "Even with Anatak-sensei gone. . . we'll be okay, right? Akito just needs to spend a few days here in your office and then the two of us will be able to move on with our lives, right? Because that means everything is going to be all right."_

_The doctor shook his head. "Sanae. . . if your brother lives. . . you need to know. . ."_

_"Know what?" Sanae grabbed the man's shoulders and began to shake him as tears began to run down her face. "What aren't you telling me!? Why can't you fix him!? You stupid quack of a doctor, why can't you save him!? He's my brother! You can't let him die on me! You just can't! I won't let you!"  
"Because he has very serious injuries from that fight!" snapped the doctor, shoving Sanae away from him, but still keeping a grip on the distraught young woman. "Your uncle's sword missed his vital organs by some twisted miracle, but his spinal cord was severed! We're doing everything we can to save his life, but if we are able to save him, things won't be like they were before. If your brother lives. . ."_

* * *

March 4, 7:53 pm

* * *

". . . he will never walk again." Sanae shook her head. "I stayed on the island with him until I was sure he was going to be okay, then I took off to find you and Onii-kun and put an end to this. I've spent more than a year wandering the Grand Line, all the while knowing Onii-san is back home in a wheelchair because he can't walk."

"Never. . . walk?" asked Luffy.

"The spinal cord is an important part of the body's central nervous system," said Chopper. He watched the exchange with sad eyes. "With severe injuries to it, it can paralyze or even kill a person. I don't think that's something even Doctorine could fix. It's really bad when something like that happens."

Sanae pointed one of her weapons at her uncle, who was staring at her coldly. "He can't feel his legs anymore. He can't fell ANYTHING from that wound down. Because of you, Akito will NEVER WALK AGAIN! He's paralyzed! He's spending the rest like that because of what you've done!"

Kenji growled. "When I'm finished with you, I'll go back and finish what I started."

Sanae shook her head. "You took Onii-kun away from me. You killed my parents. You tried to kill me, you paralyzed Akito, and you killed our master!" The young blacksmith closed her eyes. "Now you're going after Nami? She has NOTHING to do with this and you know it! She wasn't in North Blue when you kidnapped Sanji and she wasn't on Coldstone Island the day you tried to finish me and Akito off!"

"She's capable of completing his Mercy Task!" said Kenji.

"Then it IS a kiss after all!" said Chopper.

"She's trying to save his life! I don't know if she's in love with him, but he's her nakama! He's saved her life plenty of times and she wants to pay him back!" said Sanae. Getting angry, she threw one of the rings at her uncle – he stepped out of the way, glaring at his niece in anger. "Now step up and fight me! One of us isn't leaving this room alive and I don't intend for that person to be you!"

Kenji closed his eyes and drew his sword. "Then die."

* * *

Author's Notes

I was torn on whether or not to let Akito live for a while. Part of the decision came after writing this and deciding to confirm with Wikipedia whether or not someone could even survive this kind of injury, but then again, it's _One Piece._ I find this series kind of requires a little suspension of reality – the characters in this series take some serious punishment.

I found this chapter tough to edit. A lot of serious things happen (Anatak dies and Akito is paralyzed) and it's a heavy focus on an OC, which makes it even harder. Mostly I was concerned about the fight at the forge, so that scene has had some serious attention.

How will Sanae vs. Kenji end? Who will be the victor? Find out next chapter!

-Dixxy


	16. Dirty Rotten Tricks

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter 15 – March 4, 7:55 pm

"Luffy!" Chopper cried. "Aren't you gonna-?"

Luffy shook his head as Sanae and Kenji began circling each other. "Nope."

"WHAT!?"

"This isn't my fight," said Luffy. "She didn't ask for my help – she wants to do this on her own." He lowered his straw hat as Sanae screamed a battle cry and started swing her blades at Kenji, who dodged them easily. "There are some fights that I can't fight because someone else has to win them. She doesn't want my help right now because she wants to do this on her own – I'm not going to take that away from her. Think about what Zoro would do if I tried to help him fight a swordsman? He wouldn't like that."

"But you defeated Arlong, and he's the one who was hurting Nami!"

"Nami asked for my help. Sanae didn't."

"So if she starts loosing you're going to stand here and do nothing?"

Luffy grinned and pounded a fist into his palm. "Heh, heh, I never said that! Sanae WANTS to kick this guy's ass, but if he starts kicking her ass then I'm not going to let her get hurt. I think Sanji would be really mad at me if I let something bad happen to his little sister, and if he's mad, I might not get to eat any meat."

"THIS IS NO TIME TO BE WORRYING ABOUT MEAT!"

Luffy ignored Chopper. "If she needs my help she's getting it whether she likes it or not!"

Chopper looked on. "Right. So we do nothing until – wait, what's he doing?"

Kenji revealed what resembled a little horn strapped the inside of his wrist while Sanae was recovering from a block. "Madame Stoker gave this to me a few years ago as a special present, and I must say that it's been quite useful against ability users like yourself." Sanae narrowed her eyes at him, preparing to throw a ring. "This'll be quick," he said.

"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!"

Before Sanae could react, Kenji blew into the horn and a teal cloud surrounded Sanae, whose eyes widened and slowly narrowed before she fell to her knees and moaned. Kenji started to laughed as the Iron Butterfly looked up weakly from the ground, covered in a fine, teal powder. Her rings clattered to the floor, and it was clear that the fight was over. Chopper and Luffy backed up – even the likes of Monkey D. Luffy knew what that stuff was.

"Seastone! That's powdered seastone!" said Chopper.

"That's a dirty trick!" said Luffy.

"We've got to get Sanae out of here!" said Chopper. "He'll kill her!"

Luffy stretched his arms to grab Sanae and pull her towards him – she yelped a little as the captain took her in his arms and started to run after Chopper, who was already back in his reindeer body. As Kenji started to chase after them, Sanae tried to protest the Straw Hat's evasive measures. "Luffy. . . what. . . are. . ."

"We can't fight this guy!" he said.

"But. . . he's. . ."

"Sanae, we know you want to help Sanji, but you'll get killed before you get a chance!" said Chopper. "We need to either get that thing away from him or else we could all die! We're all ability users and that's seastone! You can't do anything to him and neither can we! We need someone else to fight him!"

"I don't like running away but Chopper's right! I'm no good against that stuff!"

Sanae still seemed frustrated, but the seastone was still keeping her overly groggy. Luffy could feel the affects of the seastone himself, but it wasn't enough to put him out of commission and keep him from outrunning Sanji's bastard of an uncle. Regardless, this situation had taken a drastic turn for the worse.

"Chopper! Try to find Zoro!" said Luffy.

"Right!" said Chopper. Zoro was very strong, more than willing to face another swordsman in battle, and, most important of all, not a Devil Fruit ability user. He started to sniff the air and caught Roronoa Zoro's scent – he'd been by this hallway recently, and might still be around! Chopper cried out in triumph. "This way!"

March 4, 9:37 pm

"Hmm?"

Zoro looked around the unfamiliar and rather empty hallway, scratching his head in slight confusion – where the hell did Robin, Usopp, and Franky run off to? They had a shitty cook to rescue, and as much as Zoro fought with the blond, he didn't really HATE him and he certainly didn't want the moron to die like that. "Huh. Looks like Franky and the others got themselves lost. I better go find them."

"ZORO! FIGHT THIS GUY!"

Zoro turned around to see Chopper and Luffy running towards him, a hurt and. . . blue? . . . Sanae in the captain's arms. The Iron Butterfly did NOT look good as his companions skidded to a halt behind him. Though he was wondering what the hell would make Luffy of all people run from a fight, he was more curious about the cook's baby sister. "Huh? What happened to her?" he asked.

"There's a guy with powdered seastone! I think she inhaled it!" said Chopper.

Zoro turned to see an older man running towards them, his swirly eyebrows giving away his identity. _Ah, so this is the love cook's uncle,_ he mused. "Using powdered sea stone is a cheap trick," he said, crossing his arms. "They couldn't fight you like that, but that trick isn't going to work on me." Zoro drew his remaining swords, having left the broken Yubashiri back on the ship.

Kenji drew a blood-stained sword. "Fancy yourself a swordsman, do you?"

"The sword's stained with blood," said Zoro.

"Yeah, Sanae said he impaled her other brother with it," said Luffy.

"Zoro-san. . . that blood. . ." said Sanae, her voice softer and weaker than normal. She raised a shaky arm and pointed at her uncle. "If you're worth. . . half as much. . . as your blades. . . you know that a sword must. . . be destroyed if it's. . . ever. . . ever. . . brought harm to its. . . creator."

"You're a foolish little girl, my dearest Sanae," said Kenji, pointing his sword at the group. He glared at Sanae as he began to advance on them. "These men are pirates! Don't think that Roronoa Zoro is anything like a REAL swordsman – I doubt the man has any respect for the blades he's carrying."

Needless to say, Zoro disagreed, and quickly had his remaining blades locked with the tainted sword in Kenji's hand. "Don't you DARE say I'm not a real swordsman!" he growled. Kenji looked at him with only enough interest to hold off a much stronger man with twice as many blades at his disposal. "I've been a swordsman for almost my entire life. I've dedicated my life to becoming the world's greatest swordsman, or I will die – no, dying is not an option. And I may be a pirate, but I would never raise any of my blades to the man or woman who forged them."

"You're all talk!" said Kenji.

Zoro glared, readied an attack, and in what seemed like a split second later, was standing behind Kenji, the bloodied blade lying on the ground as his feet. Sanji and Sanae's uncle fell to the ground, unconscious or dead, and the infamous Roronoa Zoro sheathed his swords and picked up the tainted weapon.

Zoro looked at the hilt of the sword, sighing. "Otouto Sanji," Zoro said.

"He named the sword after Sanji," said Chopper, lowering his head. "He thought. . ."

Sanae leaned her head against Luffy's shoulder, blankly looking at the sword. "Onii-san. . . chose a good. . . name," she said, smiling weakly. "He. . . never. . . told. . . me. . . that . . oo. . ." Then her head dropped and Luffy screamed, but the Iron Butterfly wouldn't respond to the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"WAH, WE NEED A DOCTOR!"

"Chopper, YOU'RE a doctor!" Zoro snapped. Chopper ran to where Luffy was kneeling with Sanae and began to check her vital signs. Still holding the tainted blade, the famed former pirate hunter walked closer as the girl was laid down on the floor, Chopper shaking his head as he examined her.

"What the hell happened to her, anyways?" asked Zoro.

Chopper frowned, pressing his stethoscope to her chest. "When we first met Kenji he blew powdered seastone in her face – it really weakened her and she couldn't fight." The reindeer looked between Zoro and Luffy with a serious face. "It definitely seems like she inhaled it, so there's seastone in her lungs right now. She'll probably be okay – she just needs to rest up and let it get out of her system," said Chopper.

"So she'll be fine?" asked Luffy.

"Yes, but she's going to be a little tired for a while," said Chopper.

Luffy cradled Sanae in his arms and stood up. "We still need to find Sanji and rescue him," he said. He brushed some of the hair out of Sanae's face, looking at her swirly eyebrows. "His little sister is sick. She might feel better if her big brother is around to make sure she's okay, and if Sanji knew she was like this, I think he'd want to be with her."

Chopper frowned. "But we still don't know where Elizabeth Stoker is keeping him."

March 4, 10:00 pm

"Great. Zoro's lost."

Robin stopped, looking around. Usopp and Franky were still with her, but the green haired swordsman was no where to be seen. "Hmm. Swordsman-san has mysteriously disappeared." She closed her eyes and took a few steps. "Would it be safe to assume he's gotten lost again?"

Franky sighed. "That guy's lucky he can find his socks in the morning."

"And you'd all be wise to find yourselves out of my business."

The group turned around to see a woman with bold turquoise hair standing behind them. Usopp screamed, hiding behind Franky. "AH! IT'S ELIZABETH STOKER! SHE'S GOING TO KILL US!" His knees were shaking, his teeth were chattering, and neither the shipwright nor the archaeologist were too surprised.

"Usopp, she's right here and it's not midnight! If we take her out now. . ." Franky said.

Robin grinned. "With Elizabeth Stoker dead, any of the people affected by her would be freed – including Cook-san," she said. Franky and Usopp watched as the archaeologist crossed her arms, preparing to use her ability. Elizabeth Stoker yawned as Robin sprouted arms all over her body. "This won't take long. CLUTCH!"

With a sickening snap, Elizabeth Stoker was bent backwards. Usopp and Franky cringed as Robin dropped the woman's body on the floor. She turned to them and sighed. "Robin. . . why are you always so creepy?" asked Usopp. "You just. . . you just broke a woman's back! A woman worth more than our entire crew's combined bounties doubled! Tripled! Doubled AND tripled!"

"Yeah, that was. . . weird," said Franky. He looked at the body in worry. "I don't doubt Robin knows how to use her abilities but. . . Elizabeth Stoker was worth ten billion. This. . . was that all it really took to take her out after all this time? That. . . that was too easy. I don't trust this. Not at all."

Another series of snaps could be heard as Elizabeth's body straightened, and she calmly stood, leaving all three of the Straw Hats present staring at her in shock. "You shouldn't be able to walk! You shouldn't even be alive!" Robin said, her eyes wide with shock and horror. "That's impossible! How?!"

Elizabeth Stoker sighed, walking up to Robin and picking up her chin. "My dear girl. . . I thought about taking you. You would have been easy prey, but the trouble in finding you. . . I figured you must have been a very, very smart little girl to stay so well hidden for so long." She slapped the woman, sending her into Franky. "I can see I was wrong."

"Of course," said Robin, bracing herself against the cyborg. "She's immortal. And not just immune from the effects of time. She's immune to anything we could throw at her. Disease, poison, broken bones, bleeding to death. . . none of it will harm her. We're not going to get rid of her that easily. There was a book on her in the library."

"Robin. . . COULDN'T YOU HAVE REMEMBERED THAT EARLIER!?"

Franky had already begun shooting at Elizabeth Stoker, watching as she laughed while bullet holes pierced her body, leaving her looking like bloodied Swiss cheese. The cyborg's eyes widened as the holes seemed to heal themselves, leaving a tattered dress in its stead. It was true. Nothing he could do could harm her. "That's. . ."

"Is that all?" she said.

"She. . . doesn't even feel pain?" asked Usopp.

Elizabeth grinned. "It stung a little."

The marksman's eyes widened in fear. _She can't feel pain. She can't DIE. Unless. . ._ "FRANKY! I'VE GOT AN IDEA!" He loaded Kabuto and pointed it at Stoker, who just seemed to smile. "I know how to stop her!" He grinned. "Of course I, the great pirate Usopp, would have figured it out eventually.

Elizabeth Stoker yawned, reached into her cleavage, and produced a small red ball. "Assuming you're right. . . I can't let you continue." She dropped the ball, which easily cracked open and began to smoke. Once Usopp had inhaled, he realized that something had gone horribly wrong.

_I. . . can't. . . move! _Usopp realized in horror. It was as if his entire body had become living stone. All he he could do was blink and breath. He couldn't see Robin or Franky, but he guessed they were in a similar predicament. Elizabeth Stoker, on the other hand, was laughing as she pulled out a pocket watch.

"The time is 10:09 pm. The effects of that stone smoke bomb last two hours – just enough time to ensure that you aren't a threat to me anymore. And with your navigator out of the way. . . I believe I've won this little battle." Usopp almost felt his heart stop. What had Elizabeth Stoker done with Nami!

_If she's suggesting our guess is right, then with Nami and Robin incapacitated and Sanae related to Sanji. . . SHIT! _Usopp could feel a nervous bead of sweat trailing down his cheek. Things were beginning to look really, really bad. "But don't worry – I'll bring your precious Black Leg's body back to the ship once I'm done with him. Ta, ta!"

With that, Robin, Franky, and Usopp were left alone and unable to move.

Author's Notes

_Otouto_ – little brother. Don't quote me on the correctness – I found it on a forum. But it had a few other phrases I was familiar with, like big brother (which Sanae uses a couple of versions of) and imouto-chan, which is little sister (what Sanji and Akito call Sanae). So the name of the sword is "Little Brother Sanji". Akito probably named it that because it was so close to the tenth anniversary of Sanji's disappearance, and it's possible he has other weapons named for his parents.

Sixteen is looking to be pretty short and finally goes back to Nami (and Sanji), but I will most likely not release it without having seventeen done or almost done.

I've got a couple of plugs!

First plug: I learned a valuable lesson or two. One, check my freakin' deviantArt page for messages more often. Two, on occasion, running a search for yourself on deviantArt can net some interesting finds.

Like olafpriol. She wouldn't let me link to the original drawing I found, but I'm pretty sure I was allowed to link to this:

http://olafpriol. is awesome. She's got fanfiction here on as well, which I plan on sitting down, reading, and reviewing, once I'm caught up with the second plug.

My other plug is for a fic by Nehszriah, which I won't link to because it's rated M (it's prequel is not M, though). _Inherited Will, Destiny of the Age_ is one of the most original concepts for a fanfic I've seen, which shows a morbid possibility of what could have happened if Kuina hadn't died, and how it affected the rest of the world. You can find it by checking out my favorite stories on my profile, and reading it's sister story, "As Fate Would Have It", would probably be a good idea to read before hand – this story focuses more on what happened to major canon characters, while _Inherited Will_ is all about the aftermath.

-Dixxy


	17. Racing Against Time

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 16 - ????

* * *

"Ne, Nami-san. . ."

Inexplicably, Nami was standing on the deck of the Baratie, and she could feel someone holding her from behind – not a bad hold, but a loose enough embrace to not feel threatened, and tight enough to feel warm inside. The sun was shinning and the sea gulls were flying overhead in the bright blue sky, the sounds of happy restaurant goers enjoying themselves for the evening behind her. The arms were clothed in the unmistakable black fabric and yellow buttons of Sanjo's favorite suit jacket. _What? How did I get here? _"Sanji-kun? Is that you?"

"Nami-san. . ."

Nami pulled out of the embrace and turned around. . .

. . . only now she was in Cocoyashi Village in the middle of the night, the streets lit up with party decorations and smelling vaguely of barbecue. _This is the party we had after Arlong Park fell. . . but how. . .? _She looked around in confusion. Hadn't she just heard Sanji's voice? "Sanji? Sanji-kun, where are you!?"

Nami's eyes vaguely caught a glimpse of the cook down the street, wearing his favorite suit and blue-striped shirt. He looked back briefly at her, then started walking away from her. Nami started to run after him. "Sanji-kun! Wait up! What's wrong?!" But the more she ran, the more it felt like she was only getting farther away from Sanji.

"SANJI-KUN!"

As she finally reached the end of the street, she wasn't in Cocoyashi Village anymore. Now it looked a lot more like Logue Town with its shops and streets, and a vision of the scaffolding where the last Pirate King, Gold Roger, had met his end. It was also where Luffy had nearly met his at the hands of that crazy clown pirate, Buggy. It wasn't quite night, but the sky was a dismal gray as rain began to pour down from the heavens.

Sitting on the scaffolding of the execution site was Sanji, his blond hair dripping wet from the rain. "Sanji-kun! What are you doing up there!?" Nami ran to the base of the structure and started to climb. The cook proceeded to stand, and she couldn't see him over the top. "Sanji! What are you doing? I need to save you!"

When she reached the top of the structure, it was no longer Logue Town that she could see – now it was the middle of the night in Whiskey Peak, the cactus hills high above the town, seeming much higher than normal. "Sanji-kun!? Where are you!? Answer me!" She looked around in a panic. "SANJI-KUN! SANJI-KUN!" Nami felt her heart begin to race out of control.

"Of course!" she said, an idea striking her. "Sanji-kun and Usopp were passed out drunk in that bar!" Skillfully, Nami made her way back down the building and saw the bar the Straw Hats had celebrated their entrance to the Grand Line in. The door was open, and she saw Sanji smoking a cigarette inside. Nami darted towards the door.

But what should have been the hard floor of the bar was soft mud. The bars of Whiskey Peak turned into a thick, green jungle screaming with life. "Little Garden? But how? What. . . what's going on!? Where's Sanji-kun!?" She crossed her arms, noticing a sudden lack of a shirt and the faint smell of melted wax. She yelped in surprise as Sanji's black coat was draped over her shoulders. "Sanji-kun!"

Another spin had her standing in the snow, still clutching Sanji's jacket over her almost fully exposed chest. Tall, cylindrical mountains were in the distance, almost swallowed in a flurry of pink cherry blossoms. And amidst the soft pink petals falling around her was a trail cutting through the snow. "Sanji-kun?"

Sure enough, a dark suited figure was making its way towards the mountains – the blond hair was unmistakable. Despite not being appropriately dressed at all for the weather of Drum, Nami began to run through the snow. She had to get to Sanji before it was too late, but he was still out of her grasp.

Three steps later and the snow vanished in a burst of heat. Now Nami was wearing that ridiculous dancer's outfit Sanji had picked out for her in Arabasta. . . which is exactly where she was now. The exotic buildings lining the sandy streets and bright skies over head warmed Nami, who still had Sanji's jacket. Most surprising of all was the presence of Princess Vivi and Carue, standing directly in front of her.

"Vivi!" She ran to her friend, who simply smiled and pointed down a street, a pair of sunglasses with yellow lenses and thick, black frames in her hand. She dropped them into Nami's hands, and the navigator closed her fingers around the gift. She nodded at Nami, and gave her a gentle push towards the infamous Mr. Prince himself, who was still out of her reach.

Nami fell to the ground, but instead of gravel and sand, she was kneeling in the grass near a tree stump. She sat up as a gentle wind flipped through pages of a book about Liar Norland. Her eyes turned to the house with the ridiculous fairy tale castle front and its closing door. "Now wait just a minute! Sanji-kun! What's going on?"

She opened the door and ran through, finding herself on the deck of the Going Merry, where it sat in the middle of Upper Yard. "This is so – SANJI-KUN!" She could see the cook lying face down on the deck, his body charred and hardly moving. Stumbling, Nami moved forward, beginning to cry as she fell to her knees just short of Sanji's body.

Her knees felt crisp grass, and she could hear the deafening roar of Foxy's crew from the stands surrounding an enclosed field. A ball attached to a head strap was lying in the middle of the field, and Sanji was walking away from it. "SANJI-KUN! WAIT JUST A – WHAT'S GOING ON!?" She rushed towards him, but tripped and fell over the ball.

She landed with a splash and found herself in the water by Water 7's sea train station, and during the Aqua Laguna no less. Gasping, wet, and frustrated, she looked around. He had to be around there somewhere. Why was he avoiding her? Breathing heavily as she got progressively wetter and wetter, she struggled to her feet. She watched the Puffing Tom chug away, Sanji hanging onto the caboose. "This isn't funny! Sanji-kun!" She started to run for the train, stopping short at the edge of the platform. Frustrated, she clenched her eyes and fists shut.

But the rain stopped, and she could sense it was a lot lighter outside. She opened her eyes and saw herself facing the Tower of Justice. Sitting on the edge of the balcony was Sanji, his legs crossed and his hands lighting another cigarette. "This is ridiculous. . . SANJI-KUN! CAN YOU HEAR ME!?" Sanji didn't respond, and something pushed the small of Nami's back, and she fell forward, screaming.

But the fall was slow, and Nami felt the world – and what remained of her clothing – begin to disappear. Everything looked blue, and now it was just her, sinking as if she were underwater. She closed her eyes, and opened them to see Sanji directly across from her. She gasped, almost ready to slap him for looking at her naked, but realized he seemed to be equally naked and completely relaxed. There was none of his Love Cook "mellorine" act – he was just looked calm. He held her hands and smiled.

"Nami-san. . . why are you chasing me?"

"What?"

"You've been chasing after me, is there something you need?" he asked simply. He let go of one hand to touch her cheek. Nami swallowed, her eyes wide as she looked at him, his blond hair floating around his head but his left eye still obscured. "What is it you need? A drink? A meal? Perhaps you'd like to go shopping?"

Nami felt a lump in her stomach. "No."

Sanji smiled. "Then what do you want?"

Her bottom lip quivered. "You."

"You want me?" Sanji asked, still somewhat casually.

"Yes."

He gently took her chin, grinning. "Why do you want me?"

"Because. . . I. . ."

* * *

???? pm

* * *

Nami woke up suddenly, gasping as she looked around her surroundings. She was lying on a bed in a plain room. She was probably still in building where they were looking for Sanji. _How did I get here?_ She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, looking around. She spotted a door and checked it – locked.

"Damn it," she said. Nami patted herself down – her ClimaTact was gone. However, she smiled to see that her lock-picking kit had been untouched. She grinned – the idiots who locked her in there didn't search her thoroughly enough. Quickly, she started to work on the lock. There was no telling how long she'd been out – she had to find Sanji as quickly as possible, otherwise he was going to die.

_If he hasn't already. . . NO! No, I can't give up! Not now!_

The lock easily opened after a few seconds of work and Nami easily walked out. She was in a hallway with no windows – without the sun or the moon or a clock, she had no way of knowing what time it was. She swallowed. What if it was already after midnight? She stopped herself and shook her head – no! She refused to believe that!

Taking a deep breath, she looked down each direction of the hallway. One way led to a dead end with no doors, making her decision much easier. The other way didn't have a visible end in sight. Hopefully, Sanji was somewhere down that hallway. _I hope I'm not too late. Sanji-kun, hang on! Just a little bit more!_

Nami reached a stairwall, which she looked up. It went very high. Faintly, Nami could hear the sounds of voices upwards – one of them sounded like Elizabeth Stoker's. _What is she saying!? I can't hear what she's saying! But maybe Sanjj-kun is up these stairs! If that's the case, maybe I'm not too late!_ Nami began to fly up the stairs.

". . . just . . . more. . ."

_What's that mean!?_

". . . almost time. . . kiss. . ."

Nami's eyes brightened. _She hasn't kissed him yet!_

And then she heard the chiming of a grandfather clock. _It's going to strike an hour! But what hour is it about to strike? Oh please be eight or nine or ten or even eleven o'clock. . . just please don't strike midnight! _Not sure how she managed to do it, she start to go up the stairs even faster than before.

Two chimes.

_Sanji-kun!_

Three.

_I won't leave you!_

Four.

_I'm coming to save you!_

Five.

Nami reached the top of the stairs and began to follow the sound of Stoker's voice.

Six. Seven.

_C'mon, c'mon, stop chiming soon!_

Eight.

Nami could see a light coming from a door at the far end of the hall.

Nine.

_DAMN IT! LEGS! MOVE FASTER!_

Ten.

Nami was within the final stretch.

Eleven.

_STOP CHIMING!_

Nami burst through the door and fell to her knees, looking up to see Sanji – his hands chained above his head, but still alive and surprised to see her. "Sanji-kun! Sanji-kun!" she cried. But then she noticed Elizabeth Stoker standing next to him, holding him by the tie, and grinning at her with glinting white teeth. Sanji's eyes were wide – he was terrified.

_I've never seen him that sacred before. . ._

_**Oh no. . .**_

**Twelve.**

Elizabeth Stoker pulled Sanji's face to hers and planted her lips over his.

* * *

Author's Notes

Just wait for the next chapter.

-Dixxy


	18. The Value of Life

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 17 – March 5, 12:00 am

* * *

Nami felt like a lead weight had been dropped in her stomach.

"NOOOO!" she screamed, falling to her knees. Before her eyes, Elizabeth Stoker was draining the life out of Sanji, whose eyes went wide with surprise before slowly closing. He stopped moving, and his body went limp. Nami almost felt herself choke on her own tears. _Oh God, Sanji-kun, oh God, oh God. . ._

Elizabeth Stoker pulled away from Sanji, leaving his limp body hanging from the chains. She turned to Nami and grinned evilly, sauntering towards the navigator who was looking at Elizabeth Stoker in disbelief. "You're not the first one I've seen act that way when they watch a crew mate die." The woman worth ten billion berries took her hand by force. "Go on. See for yourself."

Nami cried out as Elizabeth yanked her to her feet and threw her towards Sanji. Once she regained her balance, she stood there, watching his body intently as she continued to cry. She fell to her knees again, slamming a fist into the floor in anger. Although Nami started to swear at Elizabeth Stoker for killing Sanji. . . it wasn't that horrid woman she was really angry with.

_All this time. . . he cared so much about me. . . and most of the time I just used him! Protecting him in Skypiea and Enies Lobby wasn't enough! This man was in love with me and I was too proud or stubborn or something to even care about that! I never thought he was dying, and he was reaching out to me to save him this whole time!_

_I was too late!_

She heard the door open and close, and the sound of keys jingling – she was being locked in, presumably while Stoker went to hunt down the others. "Oh Sanji-kun, I'm so sorry. . . I failed you! You're dead and it's all my fault! I should have tried a little harder to save you and now I've let everyone down! You loved me and I ignored you and now you're dead and I can't fix it!" She threw herself at his body and began to cry into his shoulder.

_I didn't realize until now that I. . ._

* * *

March 5, 12:10 am

* * *

"I'm glad Sanae's not awake right now," said Chopper. He sniffled, wiping away some tears as he pressed a wet cloth to the Iron Butterfly's forehead. Luffy, Zoro, and Chopper had continued to search for the others while carrying Sanae. However, it was now past midnight, and the group was now resting in what looked like a large audience chamber. Chopper had needed more space to look after his patient, and even if Luffy and Zoro continued to search, there wasn't much they could have done at that point. "I'm sad enough right now as it is – I don't want to know how she'd feel knowing her brother was. . . no, no, we don't know that. Maybe he's fine."

"Of course Sanji's alive!" said Luffy. "He wouldn't die on us!"

"Luffy, there's not much our Love Cook could DO in this situation. If Stoker got to him before Nami did. . . I hate to say it, but he'd be dead," said Zoro. He placed Otouto Sanji on the ground before him. "The only thing we could do for him is give him a funeral and take out Stoker. Or let Sanae decide what to do with his body – maybe there's some tradition in their family. . ."

"Stop talking like he's dead!" said Luffy, grabbing Zoro's shirt. "HE'S! NOT! DEAD!"

"Luffy, I'm just being realistic!" Seeing his captain was upset, the swordsman kept his cool. "I don't want him to be dead, either. But we need to prepare ourselves. If he's alive we can go on like normal and not worry about Elizabeth Stoker ever again. If he's not, we need to put him to rest and look for All Blue in his place – _after we kick that witch's ass_."

"LUFFFYYYY!!!"

Luffy dropped Zoro and looked up to see Usopp running towards him, panic in his eyes. Well, not that this was odd – Usopp panicked very easily. Still. . . maybe something had happened. "Usopp? What's going on?" he asked. "Have you guys found Sanji yet? Nami's gone missing, now, too, and Sanae's hurt."

Robin and Franky came up behind Usopp. "Elizabeth Stoker found the three of us and used a sort of paralyzing gas on us," said Robin. "We couldn't move for two hours – we've just now recovered from it and we heard your voices." She looked over at Chopper and Sanae. "What happened to Butterfly-chan?"

"Apparently these guys aren't above cheap tricks – Sanae inhaled some powdered seastone and it's made her pretty sick," said Zoro. "I was able to take care of the uncle and get back his sword – the brother named it after Sanji – but we haven't seen any sign of Stoker, the Love Cook, or Nami."

"We got separated from Nami during a fight, and then Sanae tried to fight her uncle – I think it would have been a fair fight without the seastone, but right now she's unconscious," said Chopper, shaking his head. "Luffy and I had to run – we couldn't go up against something like that with our abilities."

"We were told by Stoker that Nami is 'out of the way'," said Franky. "And if Robin was-"

"NO!" said Luffy. He slammed his fist into the wall. "SANJI! IS! ALIVE!"

The group could hear laughter from behind. They turned to see Elizabeth Stoker grinning madly at them as she casually stepped into the room. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Monkey D. Luffy," she said. She licked her lips. "I must say, the first kiss is always one of my favorite Mercy Tasks to assign – I like the taste of virgin lips._**Your dearest Black Leg Sanji was no different.**_"

"No way. . . Sanji's. . . dead?" Usopp asked with wide eyes.

"WAH!!! YOU KILLED HIM!" Chopper cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Cook-san. . ." Franky pulled Robin closer to him, trying to comfort her.

The cyborg swallowed. "We were too late?"

"Son of a. . ." Zoro slammed a fist into the ground.

Luffy was silent.

The rest of his crew watched the captain as they held back their own grief. No one really knew what Luffy would do if any of them ever died. They'd seen what happened when one of his crew was in mortal danger, but they had yet to see how the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates would react to the death of one of his cherished crew members.

What followed Luffy's silence was a murderous scream and a frightening sense of blood lust in his eyes. The captain launched himself into a blind rage at Elizabeth Stoker, taking the others by surprise. Punching and kicking her with everything he had, he began screaming unintelligible words at her that flowed out of his mouth like a hurricane.

But it wasn't working. Luffy was hurting her over and over again, but she kept laughing and healing and laughing and healing faster than he could keep up. But that didn't stop Luffy, and he continued to attack her, even as each of his blows meant less and less and less. It was as if Straw Hat Luffy were a helpless kitten trying to maul a giant.

Nothing was happening.

But Luffy kept screaming and striking blows anyways, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED SANJI!"

Elizabeth Stoker laughed as Luffy started ripping the soft flesh from her bones, only to have more grow back in an instant. Skin, muscles, veins, and blood flew through the air as the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates kept screaming and crying. At the sight of the misplaced flesh and Luffy's blood-drenched arms, Usopp fell to his knees and threw up while the rest of the crew watched in horror.

"Captain-san. . ." Robin whispered, her eyes wide in terror.

"LUFFY, STOP!" Zoro screamed – Franky held him back.

"I don't think you should go near him right now. . ."

"LUFFY!" Chopper screamed.

None of the Straw Hat Pirates had ever seen Luffy this angry before.

Finally, Luffy stopped, backing away from the still alive (but covered in blood) Elizabeth Stoker, who smugly folded her arms after getting to her feet – Zoro ran behind Luffy and pulled him away, seeing that Luffy seemed to be going into some kind of silent shock again. There was still rage in his eyes, but he wasn't responding to the swordsman.

Elizabeth Stoker grinned as the blood on her body and Luffy seemed to vanish into thin air and scattered bits of flesh turned to dust. "Does anyone else want to try? Perhaps Pirate Hunter Zoro would like to slice off my head, or would the little pet like to do anything?" She turned to Franky, Robin, and Usopp. "Or do you three want Round Two?"

"Round Two?" Zoro asked, looking at them in confusion.

"She's really immortal – when we ran into her we tried to fight her but it was no use! I broke her back and Shipwright-san riddled her body with bullets but NOTHING worked!" said Robin, her eyes wide with panic. "Nothing could take her out! You saw what Captain-san did to her and she came back from that as well! I don't know what to do!"

"What are we supposed to do?" asked Chopper.

"You guys don't seriously want her to continue running around the Grand Line, do you?" asked Usopp, still recovering from throwing up but slowly getting to his feet. "Zoro. You came from a dojo, and there are kids there, right? What if she got her hands on one of them? Or she could go to Drum Island and go after one of Kureha's patients. Or she could go to Water 7 and go after Chimney. Three of my best friends back home are young enough to be her victims. We can't just leave her here and do nothing about it!" Usopp wiped the corner of his mouth. "Besides. . . shouldn't we get back at her for what she did to Sanji?"

"Oh, so now you all want vengeance?" asked Elizabeth Stoker. She began to laugh maniacally. Before anyone could react, she produced another red ball and slammed it into the ground, freezing the Straw Hats in the process – except for Chopper, who was still making noise and moving around.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?" Chopper squeaked. "THEY'RE LIKE STATUES!"

"I see – you must be too close to the ground to be affected by the stone smoke as it rises to its victims," said Elizabeth Stoker, glaring at Chopper coolly. "You don't look that difficult to kill – you're very tiny. How did Straw Hat Luffy find a creature as interesting as you to join his crew anyways?"

_Even if I use a Rumble Ball there's nothing I could do against her, and if I go into the blind rage of Monster Point I might hurt the others and STILL not hurt her – WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!? _Chopper swallowed hard as the sound of Elizabeth Stoker's clicking heels began to move towards him and his patient.

"STOP! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" Chopper said, staying small but standing protectively in front of the unconscious bounty hunter. "DON'T HURT HER!" He grimaced, trying to figure out what to do to stop Elizabeth Stoker from hurting Sanae. Or, for that matter, anyone else. Luffy and the others couldn't move, Nami was missing, and Sanji. . .

"Move out of the way, little. . . thing."

Chopper shook his head. "NO WAY!"

Elizabeth Stoker sneered. "You're no threat."

Chopper reached for a rumble ball and stuck it in his mouth. "RUMBLE!"

"What?" Stoker asked in surprise. "Rumble?"

"ARM POINT!" Chopper swung at Elizabeth Stoker, sending her flying into the opposite wall. It wasn't going to do him any good – she was just going to get up again – but he needed more time to think of something. He considered going after her, but at the same time, he was afraid to leave Sanae alone.

"Why don't you stupid pirates get over it!?" Elizabeth snapped, returning for more.

"YOU'RE NOT EVEN A HUMAN ANYMORE!" Chopper screamed. "You've lived for so long that life doesn't even mean anything to you anymore! You don't cherish ANYTHING but your own sick and twisted excuse for an existence! You've become a heartless monster, and you only care about yourself! You don't understand what makes our lives worth living! HORN POINT!"

The reindeer thrust his antlers at Stoker, but it wasn't much use. She grabbed them, and for the remainder of the rumble ball's time limit, they struggled. Finally, time was up, and Chopper had returned to his half human, half reindeer form. He was easily tossed aside by Elizabeth Stoker, screaming as he flew through the air.

Elizabeth Stoker stood over Sanae's unconscious body, frowning. "I'll handle the rest of the Straw Hats later – that little thing was no bother and the rest of you here can't do anything to stop me – your navigator is still probably crying over Black Leg Sanji's corpse." She nudged Sanae's body, which caused the bounty hunter's eyes to open.

The Iron Butterfly started to stir. "What's. . . going on?" she asked weakly. She coughed a little, sat up, and looked around. "What happened – AH! ELIZABETH STOKER!" She was quick to her feet, reaching for her weapons, but was disappointed to see they were nowhere to be found. She stepped back, Elizabeth Stoker advancing on her. "YOU!"

"Yes?" asked Elizabeth Stoker. She looked at Sanae with amusement as the bounty hunter tried to keep her ground against the other woman. "I see the affects of Kenji's darlings seastone powder has worn off. It's really only good for a few hours. You've snapped back quick well, haven't you?"

Sanae caught a glimpse of the frozen Straw Hats behind her and Chopper running towards her. "What in the. . . what have you done to them?! Where's Nami? Where's my brother!?" she demanded. She took a fighting stance, but looked a little concerned – Sanae could survive on some hand to hand combat, but she was feeling the absence of her blade rings.

"She froze Luffy and the others!" Chopper squealed. "And-"

"Your brother is dead and I'm about to kill you and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates."

The Iron Butterfly's eyes widened. "We were too late?"

Elizabeth Stoker grinned. "For you. . . yes. But the little navigator girl was just in time to watch," she said, laughing. "I have to admit I was impressed she was able to find us when she did, but she was as little as mere _seconds_ too late." She folded her arms. "There's something so satisfying about watching friends arrive too late."

Sanae lowered her head. "Don't think this is over, you monster."

Elizabeth Stoker produced a knife from behind her back. She chuckled, running the blade across her finger to test its sharpness. "Don't cry too long, little girl – you'll be joining your precious big brother soon enough!" She raised the blade above her head, a crazed look in her eyes. "DIE, BRAT!"

"SANAE!" Chopper screamed.

Sanae jumped back as Elizabeth Stoker continued to swing at her. Chopper was amazed at the cool head she was keeping, what with the girl's complete absence of offensive maneuvers. Then the little reindeer screamed when Sanae stopped blocking all together and Elizabeth Stoker drove the knife into her chest.

"SANAE!"

But the Iron Butterfly was fine.

Instead of blood pouring down her stomach, there was a silver liquid.

Stoker looked at the knife handle – now void of a blade – in complete confusion. "WHAT THE HELL!?" she screamed, looking between the handle and the Iron Butterfly with a look of of total bewilderment on her face. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY KNIFE, YOU LITTLE BITCH!?"

Sanae grinned. "You're not the only one with a Devil Fruit."

Chopper gasped. "You were able to melt the knife that fast!?"

"It's nice to be able to melt bullets and daggers like that," said Sanae.

"YOU CAN MELT BULLETS!?"

"Not all the time!"

"But you can't melt this!"

Sanae turned in time to see Elizabeth Stoker was now wielding a piece of broken wood. She dodged, but the look in her eyes was more concerned than before, and Chopper knew that Stoker had been right. Wood didn't exactly melt very easily. "Chopper! Where are my blade rings!?"

"It doesn't matter!" Chopper said. "She's immortal!"

"I KNOW THAT!" Sanae said, continuing to dodge the attacks.

"NO! No matter how much you hurt her she keeps healing! We can't do anything!"

Elizabeth Stoker began to laugh. "The little thing is right – I've been decapitated, poisoned, burned, stabbed, shot, strangled. . . you won't be able to kill me, little girl." She kicked Sanae, knocking the wind out of the Iron Butterfly as she flew into the stone floor, causing the Life Life user to cackle.

Sanae gasped. "Monster. . . YOU MONSTER!"

Sitting up, Sanae watched as Elizabeth Stoker towered over her. The woman grabbed the front of Sanae's shirt and pulled her to her feet, keeping a firm grip on the fabric. "Perhaps, but I'll be here long after your corpse has begun to rot." Sanae watched as she raised the stake above her head, a crazed gleam in her eyes. _Oh my God, I'm really going to die here! And I couldn't do anything to save Onii-kun!_

_Sanji. . . I'm so sorry. . ._

"Now prepare to DIE!"

Elizabeth Stoker swung down.

Sanae closed her eyes, wincing.

The stake never made contact.

Sanae opened her eyes to see why she hadn't been stabbed.

There was a leg blocking Elizabeth Stoker's forearm.

Sanji grinned, taking a drag from a cigarette. "Sorry, but no one hurts my baby sister."

* * *

Author's Notes

Special thanks to SuNa for beta-reading this chapter and doing stuff like finding typos and forcing me to think about whether or not Sanji got stabbed, which resulted in a really bad MS paint comic of the last part of the scene that amused him greatly anyways.

On Sanae's ability: Sanae can melt most metals, plastics, rubber (including Luffy), wax, ice, and probably some rocks. I figure she does have a "limit" to what she can and can't melt, and that limit would probably be a degree – anything with a higher melting point than her limit would be something she'd be unable to melt, and she would not be able to melt sea stone. Depending on when she sees them and how far away they are, Sanae is capable to melting bullets and blades – she needs a few seconds to "warm up". With knives and swords she just needs to dodge for a little bit – it's a bit trickier with bullets.

Find out how Sanji survived and more next chapter!

-Dixxy


	19. Say It

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 18 – March 5, 12:02 am (earlier)

* * *

_. . . wait. What's. . ._

Still clutching Sanji, Nami felt breath on the top of her head.

Nami's eyes widened. _Impossible. . . is. . . ?_

She could still feel something blowing. And it was warm, like breath. And she was right near Sanji's body, but if he was dead, he couldn't breathe. But how could he be alive after that? She'd watched Stoker kill him . . . right? _There's. . . there's no way. . . am I just. . . is this. . . oh God am I freaking out?_

"Ish . . . she gone?"

Nami paused, wiping away her tears. She looked up to see Sanji was looking down at her, eyes wide open and a concerned look on his face. "SANJI-KUN!" The shock sent her into more tears and she held him tightly, afraid he was going to disappear again if she let go, burying her face into his chest. "I thought you were dead! I thought she killed you and took you away from me and I was so scared and I-"

"I diddin hab a choish – peas dowen cwy!"

"Don't you dare scare me like that again!"

"Sssh! Sshe ight ear ooo!"

_Why the hell is he talking funny? And. . . how is he alive?_ "But. . . how?"  
Sanji grinned, proudly showing her the piece of sea stone he was holding between his teeth. Nami laughed nervously even as tears continued to trickle down her cheeks as she embraced him. "I should've known you'd come up with something like that – even if it's a Devil Fruit powerful strong enough to grant immortality. . . it's still a Devil's Fruit in the end, isn't it?" she said, gently touching his left cheek.

"Ken I shpit thish out now?"

"Of course you can," Nami said.

Sanji turned his head to the side and stuck his tongue out, letting the sea stone drop to the floor. "That thing tasted like shit and had sharp corners – it really sucks trying to keep a rock in your mouth for that long without people figuring it out and – mm!" Sanji wasn't able to finish that thought before Nami had wrapped her arms around his shoulders, stood on her tip-toes, closed her eyes, and kissed him.

_Ah HA! You're kissing him! I told you-  
Excuse me? Little busy here. Go away._

Nami found herself enjoying the kiss a little more than she'd expected – for someone who was such an inexperienced kisser, Sanji wasn't that bad at it. It was simple, kind of sweet, and made her feel a whole lot better – things were going to be okay now. It felt warm and secure, like everything was going to be all right again.

_ He's safe – oh God he's safe. I don't have to worry about her taking him away again._

"Nami-san. . ."

Sanji had broken away from her and was looking at her in amazement. He seemed to be stunned speechless, but then his eyes wandered upwards and he winced a bit as Nami heard a slight crackling sound. The cook sucked in and gritted his teeth – something was happening to the Garnish. Nami lifted the hair covering his eye in concern and curiosity.

There it was – the Garnish, a bright blue design almost identical to the tattoo on Elizabeth Stoker's leg. Little by little, the blue was crackling away and turning black – and apparently it was causing Sanji pain. "Are you going to be okay? It's turning black, Sanji-kun. What does that mean?"

The cook sighed, breathing heavily as he tried to handle the pain. "That's a good thing – it hurts like hell but it's a good thing," he said. "Blue means you're alive and haven't completed the Mercy Task. Black means it's over and you're going to live. And red. . . red Garnishes are only found on the dead bodies of her victims," he said, shuddering. He took a deep breath and the last of the blue vanished. "It's. . . it's done."

Nami pressed her forehead to his chest. "No. No it's not."

"Huh?"

"Luffy and the others, and your sister, they're all here," she said. "And possibly still fighting off Stoker's men, including your uncle. I don't think he's as good as Zoro, but it didn't take much for him to take me out of the running for a little while. We need to help them out. . . and maybe get rid of Elizabeth Stoker for good."

A blank expression worked its way onto Sanji's face. "Um, right."

"Sorry, Sanji-kun, I know how you feel about hitting girls but. . . I don't think Luffy's going to just stand for this woman walking out of here," said Nami. "First off, she hurt you. Second, she hurt your family, and Luffy seems to like Sanae enough that her being hurt would bother him even if she wasn't your baby sister. Third, she sent her men after the rest of us – Luffy, Chopper, Sanae and I were attacked when we got here. I don't know what happened to Zoro and the others, but she's definitely done some horrible things."

Sanji shook his head."I never said I LIKED the woman!" He sighed. "I don't like her, but seriously? The person I dislike the most from all of this isn't her – it's my uncle." He gritted his teeth. "He lured me away from my home when I was a kid and gave me to Elizabeth Stoker for money. I trusted him! He's my damn uncle and he SOLD ME! Never mind the Garnish or all that but do you have any idea what it feels like to be SOLD?! It was like I wasn't even a person to him! I was just. . . some kind of. . . _**thing**_!" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"No, it's fine, Sanji-kun. No one sold me like that, but I know what it's like to be used."

Sanji turned away. "Right. Arlong."

"And we both have bounties, so I'm sure people are going to try and collect on them."

". . . yeah."

"So as far as Stoker goes. . . you understand that something has to be done."

Sanji turned back to Nami, a sad, conflicted look on his face. "I guess but. . . letting go of my kishido like that isn't. . . I know most of you don't get it. I know that you were a little mad at me over what happened in Enies Lobby with that soap woman and all, Nami-san, even if you did say you'd respect me for it."

"Sanji-kun. . ." Nami said, folding her arms.

"It was a promise I made to my parents – not hitting girls, I mean," Sanji said. He clenched his eyes shut. "The last one I ever made to them. It was about a week later that I had to leave home, and then they died trying to find me. Making a promise like that to your parents is huge where I come from. It's the last thing I have from my parents. I. . . I never even had the chance to say good-bye to any of them. Not Sanae-chan, not Akito-san. . . as soon as I understood what had happened to me I had no choice but to just leave everything. I had the clothes I was wearing and that was it. I had to get out of there as fast as possible or else I would have died. I was. . . terrified. So over the years I held onto that promise."

Nami grabbed the bracelet Nojiko had given her. "What happened?" asked Nami.

"I hit Sanae," said Sanji.

Nami sighed. "Sanji. . . you're siblings. If I had a beri for each time Nojiko hit me I-"

"It. . . almost killed her."

". . . what?"

Sanji looked a little panicky. "Not on purpose! You might call it one of those 'freak accidents' – I didn't mean for it to happen the way it did, I swear!" Sanji said. "We were fighting about. . . something. . . on the docks near our house and I hit her really, really hard. She fell down, hit her head against the wood and fell into the water – she was out cold." He swallowed. "When I finally realized she wasn't coming up I dove in after her and pulled her out but. . . she looked really, really bad. She'd taken in a lot of water and she wasn't breathing and she was starting to turn blue. . . if it weren't for one of the local fisherman coming by. . . Nami, I could have killed her. I almost KILLED my baby sister! Do you have any idea what it's like to live with that!?"

Nami closed her eyes and folded her arms. "It must have been hard, Sanji-kun, but you said it yourself: it was an accident. They were upset because something bad had happened to one of their children. I mean, maybe it was a stupid thing to do to hit someone that young, but honestly? Why do you think they tried to find you when you vanished? They loved you so much they made the ultimate sacrifice for you. . . just like the one Bellemere-san made for me and Nojiko."

Sanji stayed quiet, looking away, but Nami touched his cheek and turned his head to look at her. "Sanji-kun, I'm certain that they loved you. Sanae loves you, too – she's spent two years wandering around the Grand Line wondering if she could find you or your uncle before your deadline passed. And Luffy was so angry when he found out, and everyone wanted to come find you. You mean something to us – I won't make you strike that woman but we might need your help to make sure she can't do this to anyone else. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I. . . I'll do what I can," said Sanji, hanging his head.

"Okay," said Nami. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. "But. . . please. Promise me this. If a woman is trying to kill you. . . I don't care if it's a pirate or a Marine or a bounty hunter or anyone, please, just run away or dodge or something. . . just don't get yourself killed." She squeezed him tighter. "I got really scared we were going to loose you! I didn't want you to die on me!"

"Nami-san. . . you were worried about me?" Sanji asked, surprised.

Nami looked up at Sanji, unsure of what to say next. "I. . ."

"Nami-san?"

_Just say it, Nami. Just say it._

"Nami-san. . . you're scaring me. . ."

_What have I been trying to steer you towards this entire time? _

_What have you been flushing over and trying to ignore since this whole mess started? What did you dream about when Kenji knocked you out? _

_What did you do as soon as Sanji vanished? _

_What were you willing to do when he wouldn't tell you and Robin what was wrong?_

_What have you been denying to yourself this entire time?_

_Nami, just go out and SAY IT!_

Sanji was starting to panic. "Nami-san? Nami-san, what's wrong?"

Tears began to flow from her eyes. "Damn it Sanji-kun! I love you!"

* * *

Author's Notes

So it's Sanji's birthday according to Oda. Seemed like a good day to update.

The seastone in Sanji's mouth was a simple yet really good solution to how I was going to handle this part of the plot. I had several early ideas, including Stoker being a transsexual (and therefore, once Sanji figured it out, allowing him to fight Stoker without complication) or some kind of comedic chase scene around Sanji between Nami and Stoker. This, however, just seems both simple and effective. And totally Sanji-like. Seriously, he pulls off stuff like this anyways. Mr. Prince. The Puffing Tom. And didn't he try playing hero up against Enel, too?

I know this chapter took a while. Here are some reasons:

One: 17 credit load this semester. If I don't drop anything this means I won't have to take anything above 15 credits per semester from here on out (current plan is a 13 credit followed by a twelve or MAYBE another 13). WOO-HOO!

Two: I got a Wii. Eventually I got One Piece: Unlimited Adventure. Needless to say I've been playing it. . . a lot.

Three: Initially there was going to be a fight scene in this chapter. However, here's the problem: Sanji. He's not an easy character to handle.

Not sure when the next chapter is going to be out. Until then, enjoy!

Oh, and thank you to everyone who's reviewed or added me or this story to their favorite/alert list(s)!

Dixxy


	20. Showdown

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter 19 - March 5, 12:23am

* * *

Elizabeth Stoker closed her eyes and nodded in Sanj's direction. "Well played. I should have realized there was a reason you suddenly shut up after a while – quite clever of you." She shook her head. "In all my years of doing this, not once has anyone pulled a stunt like that. You're the first. I can't say I'm not impressed by that little bit of ingenuity. _I'll remember that for my next victims_."

At that moment, however, Sanji was not paying much attention to Elizabeth Stoker. The Straw Hat cook was a bit distracted by Sanae, who was hugging him rather tightly and making a fuss over him. "Onii-kun! Onii-kun! You're alive! You're okay! You didn't die! I thought I was never going to see you again but you're all right!"

"I'm glad to see you, too, Sanae," Sanji said, trying to break free from her grip – even he was no match for the power of an overly emotional baby sister, however. Even so, he couldn't believe he was seeing her after all those years apart – she'd grown up behind his back. _Last time I was her she was just a little kid. Now she's. . . not a kid anymore. _He frowned. _I missed all that. Shit._

"Touching. Now I'm going to kill you both!" Stoker snapped. Sanji got a better grip on his sister's waist and dragged them both out of the line of fire to the floor several yards away. Sanae detached herself from her brother and looked at Stoker in a bit of fear.

"She's immortal."

"Yeah, I know."

"No, you don't – she can't be injured!"

"Once again – I know that!"

"Oh," said Sanae. "Good. So we just need to figure out some other way to kill her!"

The cook froze. "No. I can't," Sanji said slowly.

"Huh?" Sanae asked. "Sanji, what are you-"

His eyes were wide with panic. "If I hurt her. . . I'd be breaking my promise, but if I don't Nami-san and Robin-chan and my sister and the rest of the crew could all die," said Sanji. His knees buckled and he grasped his head. "But I can't hurt a woman. But I can't let anything happen to the girls. But I can't kick a woman! I can't choose! I can't do this!"

Zoro groaned.

"Sanji!" Chopper screamed.

"What the hell's wrong with you!?" Sanae yelled. "She's going to kill us!"

Sanji shook his head. "I can't!"

"Onii-kun, I've missed you these twelve years but this is NO TIME for a nervous breakdown! We have to do something about her!" Sanae screamed, grabbing the collar of her brother's shirt. "Do you realize how much I've gone through the past two years just trying to find you?! Do you know what Nami and Robin and Luffy and the others have done to save your sorry ass!? You can't just sit here and-"

"I made a promise to never hit girls!" Sanji yelled back.

"Forget the promise! Our lives are at stake!"

"How do you NOT remember!?"

"What the FUCK are you talking about?!"

"You KNOW why I can't hurt women!!"

"No, dum bass, I don't!"

"Of course you do!"

"No, I don't!"

The frozen Straw Hats, unknown to each other, all shared the same thought:

_They really ARE brother and sister. . ._

"WHY DON'T YOU REMEMBER!?" Sanji yelled. "YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER!"

"REMEMBER WHAT!?" Sanae yelled back. "Sanji, you're not making any SENSE! What kind of promise is so important to you that you'd be willing all of our lives for it by not getting rid of the monster trying to destroy us!? SHE'S TRYING TO KILL US! Stop being so stubborn! This isn't fair, Sanji- what the FUCK is wrong with you!? What kind of freakish 'promise' did you make that you're willing to get us all killed over!?"

"IT'S NOT A FREAKISH PROMISE!" Sanji countered.

"What are you talking about!?" said Sanae.

"_Why don't you remember the day I almost __**killed**__ you_!?"

"WHAT!?" Chopper screamed.

Sanae's jaw was dropped, and she stood in stunned silence.

Sanji clenched his fists tightly, trying to hold his composure.

By this time, however, the little reindeer doctor noticed Elizabeth Stoker had drawn a gun. Chopper immediately began to scream, darting towards the woman. He was able to knock her down in time to send the bullet harmlessly into the air. The sound was enough to get Sanji and Sanae to stop arguing and recall they were in the middle of a much more. . . important fight. Another shot rang out, and the siblings split again to avoid getting him.

"Sanji. . . I don't remember. . . but I know you wouldn't mean that. . . do you think Dad would want to see you die because of that?!" asked Sanae, landing on all fours. "Mom and Dad died trying to find you that day! They loved you! They were terrified that something bad happened! They wouldn't want you to give up just because your opponent was a woman! They gave us our LIVES – don't waste that!

"SANJI! STAND UP AND FIGHT, YOU STUPID DUMBASS!"

By this time Stoker had broken free of Chopper's grip and was running directly at Sanji. Still not on his feet, Sanji rolled out of the way, and was forced to continue dodging her blows from the ground until he was able to scramble far enough away to get to his feet and close enough to Sanae to pull her to hers. Stoker, meanwhile, was laughing. "Even after everything your sister has said, you still won't hit me?"

"What good am I going to do my parents if I won't live by the things they taught me?"

Sanae smacked her forehead. "We're all going to die."

Before Sanji could react to his sister's comment, there was the sound of a gunshot and a scream from Chopper. The little reindeer was clutching his arm – thankfully in his mostly human form – and was starting to bleed. "Someone shot me!" he yelled. He looked around for the shooter, his eyes stopping at the door.

Leaning on the edge of the door frame with a gun in one hand was Kenji, glaring at everyone in the room in anger. Zoro, still frozen in place, was shocked. "Looks like I got here just in time," he said, chuckling. He turned to his niece and nephew, a sly grin on his face. "Well, well, well. . . looks like you're both still alive."

* * *

March 5, 12:34 am

* * *

"There's got to be some around here!"

Nami was hurriedly searching through storage room and other rooms seemingly inhabited by Stoker's henchmen. She needed the ClimaTact and she needed to find Stoker's weakness – Sanji wouldn't be able to distract that horrible woman for very long before it was obvious he wasn't going to attack her.

Sanji and Nami had tried to join the battle with Stoker until they heard that Stoker was unable to be injured by normal means. They exchanged a look of concern before Nami's eyes widened and she told him she'd be back soon – she knew what they would need to do to destroy her.

_"Just keep her busy!"_ Nami had said before taking off.

Now, however, came the tough part: finding it.

Technically, it had been Sanji who had figured out Stoker's weakness, although it was about as plain as day when someone took it into consideration. Elizabeth Stoker was a Devil Fruit user. Devil Fruit users had two universal weaknesses – the sea and seastone. All they needed to do to kill Stoker was stab her with a sea stone dagger or drown her. Seeing that they were too far from the shoreline to consider drowning her, that left finding a seastone weapon.

And if Sanji had found that little piece of seastone, maybe there was more. . .

* * *

March 5, 12:35 am

* * *

"You're ALIVE!?" asked Sanae. "But I thought Zoro killed you!"

Kenji continued to laugh. "I'll give the kid credit – he knocked me out pretty good."

"He's still standing after a fight with ZORO!?" Sanji asked in amazement.

Kenji lifted his shirt, revealing bright blue scales underneath. A few of the scales were cracked, showing flesh and a little blood underneath. "There's a certain breed of sea king that has lightweight but very tough scales. He didn't break the scales or my flesh, but the force of that attack knocked the wind out of me for a while there."

"Don't be foolish enough to think I don't take care of my own, darlings," said Stoker. "Kenji dear is my right hand man. Of course I was going to give him protection – he's a good man. It's not every day to you find a subordinate willing to sell his own flesh and blood or kill his own brother for you."

Sanji's eyes widened. "So you DID kill them. . ."

"I didn't exactly kill them, per se," said Kenji. "The fall did."

"You worthless piece of crap!" Sanae yelled, starting towards Kenji.  
"I wouldn't," he said. "This gun has seastone bullets. You can't melt those."

Sanae halted, and Sanji pulled her close to him. "Asshole," he said.

"Devil's Fruit users are few and far between, but I've encountered enough to known when to be prepared," said Kenji. He gestured to the frozen group of Straw Hats. "This'll work on that rubber body of your captain as well, and he can't even dodge like your little sister can. Heck, it'll work on any of them, really. Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, dead. Demon Child Nico Robin, dead. Cyborg Franky, dead. I'm guessing the kid with the nose is Sogeking? He'll be dead, too."

Sanji and Sanae grew quiet – there wasn't much they could do without one of the others getting hurt. Kenji was right – they were all helpless. The cook clutched his sister's hand, squeezing tightly. Luffy and the others were enraged, but they couldn't fight the effects of the stone powder.

_NO! Keep your hands off my cook!_

_C'mon, stupid cook, think of something!_

_SANJI!_

_Cook-san!_

_You've got to do something! You're the guy who broke onto the Puffing Tom! C'mon!_

Taking a deep breath, Sanji closed his eyes. "I'm the one you want, aren't I?"

"You're useless to me now," said Stoker. "That navigator girl ruined you for me."

Sanji swallowed, a serious but frightened look in his eyes as he started to speak again. "But. . . if I allowed you to have me anyways . . . you could leave my crew and my sister alone. I give myself up peacefully if you let them go. Sanae gets to go home, and Luffy and others get to continue on their journey."

Stoker paused. "Eh?"

"You could kill me. Turn me in for my bounty. I don't care. Just let them go."

"SANJI!" Chopper yelled.

"Onii-kun, stop!" Sanae yelled.

"Luffy. . . is the man who's going to become the Pirate King! And Marimo-head wants to be the world's greatest swordsman! Chopper needs to find a cure for all diseases and Usopp is going to be a brave warrior of the sea! Robin-chan is going to find and dechiper the Rio Ponyglyph and Franky's going to be there when the Thousand Sunny reaches Raftel! Nami-san needs to finish her map of the world! And I don't want Sanae to die on me or have you go after Akito!" Sanji swallowed. "I can't let their dreams die. Even if it means I'll never see All Blue. . . they're my friends. I can't let you hurt them!"

Elizabeth Stoker grinned, walking up to Sanji and grabbing his chin. "I could make you my slave," she said. "I could force you to do anything. I could keep you alive and torture your body until there was nothing left but an empty shell. I could degrade you. Some of my men would like you – I could make you their personal 'play thing'. Poke both of your eyes out and feed them to you. You'd be willing to do this for these-"

"Yes."

"Onii-kun. . . don't do this. . ." Sanae pleaded.

"Even bring me more children?"

Sanji stood, trying to hold his composure together. "I won't bring you more victims. Enslave me, torture me, kill me, rape me, do whatever you want to me and my body as long as you leave my friends alone and don't make me do that – I'd sooner slit my own throat then hurt kids the way you hurt me."

Stoker grinned. "This is still an interesting proposal."

"Luffy is not going to stand for that!" Chopper yelled.

"Neither will I!" said Sanae. Kenji clicked his gun, and she froze. Sanae gritted her teeth.

"So, little cook, do we have a deal?" asked Elizabeth Stoker. She started to walk circles around him – Sanji felt his body go cold. "In exchange for the safety of your friends and your little sister, you're mine to do whatever I please with except making you collect more children for me. That sounds like a fair exchange to me."

Sanji opened his mouth.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF MY MAN!"

BANG! BANG!

Kenji cried once and dropped his gun, clutching his profusely bleeding hand. Stoker, on the other hand, was screaming as she clutched her shoulder, which was a bloody pulp of flesh and bone. Nami was standing in the doorway holding a gun of her own, her eyes wide with shock as the firearms in her hands shook.

"Nami!" Sanae cried.

"That BITCH! You got out!?" Kenji cried, crawling towards his weapon. Before her uncle could recover the gun, Sane kicked it away and slammed her foot into his chest. Kenji grabbed her foot and pulled her to the ground. Unfortunately for him, that put Sanae close enough to the gun to grab it, and she pointed it at his forehead.

"You. . . you wouldn't. . . I'm your uncle!" he said, shaking in fear.

Sanae's eyes were cold as she pushed the nozzle against his forehead. "Uncle Kenji, I've been a bounty hunter for two damn years – I know how to handle myself in a fight against wimps like you," she said. Her glare narrowed. "And family ties didn't stop you from killing my parents or selling Sanji or attacking me and Akito." Kenji's eyes widened and he slumped over.

Meanwhile, Sanji couldn't take his eyes off Nami.

One: She'd just shot two people.

Two: She'd probably referred to Sanji-kun as "her man".

She was still shaking.

"YOU MORON!" Stoker screeched, clutching her still bleeding shoulder.

"She's. . . not healing?" Sanji asked.

"Seastone. . ." said Nami, looking down at the gun. "She can be hurt with seastone!"

"_YOU LEFT THOSE DAMN BULLETS OUT!? YOU IMBECILE! NOW I'VE BEEN SHOT YOU INCOMPETANT PIECE OF TRASH_!!" Stoker screeched at Kenji. He didn't react, and Sanji began to wonder if he was even alive anymore. Sanae turned away from Kenji, pointing her gun at the Life Life user.

The Iron Butterfly pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

"No bullets. . . how quaint," said Stoker.

Sanae turned to Nami. "Nami! You have to shoot her again!" she yelled.

Stroker growled, getting to her feet. . . still clutching one of the guns with the bad arm. Nami kept the gun pointed at Stoker, sweat dripping down her face. "I can smell it – you won't shoot me again. You don't have the guts to do it. And this arm will heal – eventually. It'll take a long time, but it will heal. So either you put your gun down and let me and 'your man' make our deal, or else I will shoot you."

Nami swallowed, still shaking. "I can't let you do that to him – he doesn't deserve it." She tried to stop shaking, but it was no use. "What you did to him. . . you forced him to leave his home when he was a child. . . it led to his parent's dying, it led to him nearly starving to death . . . he spent twelve years desperately trying to save his own life and hide it from the rest of the world. . . and no you want to do THIS!?"

Sanji's jaw dropped, the cigarette in his mouth falling to the floor.

"I can't let you do that!" she yelled.

"YOU'LL DIE, BRAT!" Stoker pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Nami cried and closed her eyes, fearing the worst. Nothing happened.

She opened her eyes and saw something that shocked her.

Sanji was holding Elizabeth Stoker back. The bullet lodged itself harmlessly in a wall.

"SANJI-KUN!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Stoker said coldly.

Sanji gritted his teeth. "When I promised not to strike a woman again, I meant it for all women. And I don't like doing this. But if I don't do something you could hurt my little sister or Robin or the woman I love! I'm not going to let you live if it means they have to die!" He closed his eyes, holding the squirming woman tightly. "NAMI-SAN! YOU HAVE TO SHOOT HER!"

Nami's arms started to shake.

"NAMI-SAN!!"

BANG!

* * *

Author's Notes

Wow. There were some bumps in the way to getting this one done. But after some beta-ing and some adding and cutting I think I'm okay with it.

I'm guessing there will be about two more chapters/parts to go and then onto the next story!

-Dixxy


	21. Finally Over

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

* * *

Chapter Twenty

* * *

Sanji winced, closing his eyes as he turned away from the fight. He couldn't watch. And then he felt Stoker's body go limp. He loosened his grip and she fell to the floor. He looked down and saw a bullet hole in the middle of her forehead. He eyes were open, but she wasn't breathing.

She was dead.

Nami slid to the ground, breathing heavily as she still held the gun. Sanji abandoned Elizabeth Stoker's corpse and rushed to Nami's side, joining her on the groun as he embraced her. "Nami-san. . . you did. . . you did it," he said. Slowly, she leaned her head over and rested it on his shoulder, shuddering a little. "It's all right."

"You helped," she said, pressing her forehead to his and clutching his hands.

"YAHOO!" Sanae was on her feet, cheering. "We did it! We won!"

"Is she really dead?" Chopper asked.

The group froze, and all eyes turned to Stoker. Sanji got up and slowly crept towards the body – Nami held his hand and followed. The cook knelt down next to Stoker, investigating a bit closer than before. Nami, for her part, was clutching his arm. "What exactly are you planning on doing?"

"Checking for a pulse?" he said. "I've never really had to figure out if someone was dead before."

"Even at the restaurant?"  
Sanji frowned, picking up Stoker's hand. "We roughed some people up but people usually didn't die – if it looked like someone was dead or dying Zeff usually took care of it. He wouldn't let anyone else nearby unless there was a doctor on board and even then. . ." He felt around and frowned. "I. . . don't know what I'm looking for." He dropped her hand. It didn't move.

Nami bit her bottom lip. "I killed her."

Sanji swallowed. "We killed her."

"I shot her."

"I held her."

"Sanji-kun, you don't have to take the blame-"

"-and I don't want you to bear this on your own!"

"You're having an argument over a dead body!" Sanae yelled.

A pause.

And then both Sanji and Nami shrieked as they scrambled away from the corpse as fast as they could. If the swordsman could have move, Sanji was convinced that Zoro would have been rolling on the ground laughing at them (especially him). The pair stopped at the wall, breathing heavily as they clutched each other for dear life.

"Haven't you killed people before!?"

"What!? What are you talking about!?"

"Marines, other pirates!"

"Hey I move on when they go down, I don't kick to kill!"

"Well. . ."

"Look at them!" said Chopper. He was still nursing him wound, now wrapping it in bandages over by Sanae and her uncle, who appeared to be dead now. "I don't think I've seen those two behave like that before! And what was that thing about Nami yelling that Sanji was 'her man'?"

Sanae shrugged. "Guess this means they're together or something."

* * *

March 5, about an hour and a half later

* * *

"They're still frozen over there?" asked Sanae. The Iron Butterfly walked around the frozen Straw Hats. She frowned and sighed, tapping her foot and crossing her arms. "How long does this stuff take to wear off, anyways!?"

"Two hours," said Chopper. "They should be okay any minute now."

"That's good – it means we can head back to the ship and put this all behind us," said Nami. She, Sanji, Sanae, and Chopper had been left with little to do aside from playing the waiting game while the effects of the stone smoke wore off – very, very slowly.

"YOSH! I can move again!"

In the span of a second, the frozen Straw Hats went from being imoblized to moving – and almost all of them crowded around the cook. Franky lifted Sanji off the ground in his bear hug lock, tears streaming down his face.

"We were so worried about you!" he cried.

"Franky, I'm okay, now if you could just-"

"I'm so sorry, Sanji! I shouldn't have pushed the birthday thing on you!"

"Really, Usopp, it's fine, you didn't-"

"SANJI! DON'T DIE ON ME!"

"Luffy, calm down!"

"I'm glad you're well, Cook-san. It looked like we were going to have a funeral."

"Um. . . thanks, Robin?"

". . . glad you're still alive, Stupid Cook."

". . . thanks, Marimo-head."

"Let's go back to Sunny and celebrate with lots and lots of meat!"

Sanji grimaced, but decided to take the rest of the crew's good will – he had come pretty close to dying, and at at least he knew where he stood with most of these people (possibly excluding Robin-chan). Luffy was his captain, but he still needed to keep him out of the kitchen. Usopp could get himself into trouble, but he still got along really well with him provided he was still in the crew. Franky was. . . Franky. And Zoro was still a stupid swordsman with green hair. Chopper was trying to make sure the others were all okay.

And that left Nami-san and Sanae-chan.

Both of them were standing off to the side, neither one getting very close. Sanji frowned. Things were going to be a bit awkward with those two for a while. He had to figure out how to rebuild a relationship with his baby sister after twelve years apart. And as for Nami, he needed to figure out what kind of relationship they would have from here on out.

It wouldn't be an easy decision to make.

* * *

March 5, shortly before sunrise

* * *

The Straw Hats, Mr. Acorn (who had appeared shortly after the group exited the building) and Sanae had returned to the Thousand Sunny in all but complete silence. Though everyone was okay, there was a slight sense of melancholy in the air over what had happened with Elizabeth Stoker. Zoro and Franky carried her body with them – attributing to some of the atmosphere – in order to dump her body in the ocean.

Once Stoker's body was dumped, the mood lightened

But nothing had been done with Kenji's body. Sanji said the man didn't deserve the effort.

Chopper did, however, determine what killed him. "When Zoro hit him, he did more than just knock the wind out of him – there's evidence to suggest he was bleeding internally. Sanae might have hurried up the process by scaring him, but I don't think it made much of a difference in the long run."

But now most of the crew was in bed, Sanae given tempoary residence in the girls' room.

Sanji, for his part, was sitting at the base of one of Nami's tangerine trees in an old t-shirt and blue pajama pants, an ashtray to his right and a cigarette in his left hand. He had a lot of thinking to do, and he needed to be alone – the other men in the crew were staying on the ship for at least that night before they re-organized their hunting expedition.

But now things were slowly getting back to normal. At least, that's what Sanji thought. The dust was still settling. The others had spent a lot of time fussing over him (even Zoro) and Sanae had been possessive of him until fatigue won her over and Robin brought her to the girl's room for the night. Sanji had missed her as well, and somehow having his baby sister able to hold him after all these years without making him ill put a sort of final closure to the whole nightmare.

As for Nami. . .

"Hey."

Sanji looked up to see Nami was sitting next to him, a blanket around her shoulders. He smiled, not sure what to do beyond that. The navigator returned the gesture, putting a hand on his back before rubbing it gently. He closed his eyes and leaned forward. "You don't have to do that," he said.

"You're enjoying it."

Sanji closed his eyes. "I didn't say I didn't like it."

"Are you all right?"

"Hmm?"

Nami retracted her hand to pull the blanket around her shoulders a little tighter. "You haven't given me the 'mellorine' or 'Nami-swan' treatment. Normally I would expect that from you – you've gotten awfully quiet. Are you even fighting with Zoro or the other boys?" She sighed. "Not that I want you guys fighting, but. . . this isn't like you."

Sanji shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't felt the need to go all crazy like that over you."

"And the guys?"

"I think we're all too tired to fight," he said with a slight laugh. Sanji took a drag from his cigarette and looked up at the sky. "Don't worry – I'll probably send Zoro off with a threat and a challenge to his masculinity and yell at Luffy to make sure he doesn't eat all the food we're supposed to be bringing off the island tomorrow morning."

"I'll believe it when I see it," said Nami.

"I don't think how I feel about the other men in this scrappy little crew has changed. It's the women I've had a change of heart about," said Sanji. "I think that the Garnish was controlling a lot of my behavior around women. I mean I still like women – a lot – but I don't think all of that outlandish behavior was me. It was either me being desperate to be kissed or something working against my desperation."

Nami rested her head on his shoulder. "So you're not crazy about me or Robin anymore?"

"My feelings for each of you have changed," he said. Sanji put the cigarette out and breathed out the last tendrils of smoke from his lungs."I still think Robin is an attractive woman and I think she's going to make some lucky man very happy one day, and I hope he makes her just as happy – I'm just don't think I want that to be me anymore."

"And me?" asked Nami, feeling a little red.

Sanji closed his eyes. "I am absolutely certain I love you."

Nami's eyes widened. "So your feelings weren't affected by the Garnish?" she asked.

Sanji shook his head. "A lot of the over-the-top stuff was, but I remember the first time I saw you back on the Baratie, I thought something was different. It didn't feel like any of the other girls I'd fawned over and been shot down by. With them it was like I wasn't in control and it scared me. With you something was. . . different. But the more I got to know you, the more that feeling developed and I realized that this really was . . . real."

"But why me?" asked Nami. "Sanji-kun, Don't I remind you of your uncle?"

Sanji was taken aback by her comment. "Nami-san! Why would I compare you to that. . . that. . . he did a lot of awful things with his life. He killed my parents, he tried to kill Sanae and Akito and even though my brother is alive he can't walk. . . how could I even begin to compare you or ANYONE on this ship to that monster? You're not like him! Why the hell would you remind me of him!?"

Nami sulked. "Because I like money?"

Sanji sighed, turning to face Nami. "But I don't think you've ever seriously hurt someone for money. The man exploited children for a living. You exploited pirates, and most of them, well, they might have deserved it. But children? I don't think I was that bad of a kid, and I'm sure most of the kids he did that to didn't do anything very bad either." He placed his hand gently on her cheek. "Besides, you were trying to buy back your village from Arlong. Kenji probably wanted the money for himself."

"What do you think I do with all my money?" asked Nami.

"You're not. . . too unreasonable."

She sighed. "Maybe."

"If you're going to love someone, you have to accept everything," said Sanji. He smiled, looking up at the sky. "My parents had their differences. My mother, for example, had this thing for hair ornaments – she'd buy them left and right – and it drove my father nuts with how much money she spent on them. Then again, she wasn't always happy with him if he was sent out to buy clothing for me or Sanae or Akito – he'd come back with some of the UGLIEST kid's clothing I've ever seen, and half of the time they didn't fit right. Neither one of them could ever agree on what to do with this spot of land in the backyard they wanted to use as a garden – she wanted flowers, he wanted vegetables. And I'm sure there were other things that they didn't like about each other. But I know they loved each other. All three of us experienced the trauma of 'walking in' on the proof of that." Sanji shuddered. "We had all been spooked by a sound from outside – probably just a neighborhood cat or something – so we all decided to seek refuge in our parents room and. . . well, Akito had to explain what they were doing to me and Sanae. Still, he said that it meant they loved each other."

"I never had two parents," said Nami. "At least, Bellemere-san was never married, so I didn't have that kind of a father figure when I was a kid. We had Genzo, I guess, but Bellemere-san used to tease him a little bit and he'd get frustrated with her but they were really just friends, I think."

"Family doesn't have to be defined by a married couple with kids," said Sanji. "Most of the time I was growing up I was on the Baratie, and Sanae and Akito had Master Anatak. I don't think any of us could say Zeff or Anatak wasn't some kind of a father figure to us. It was still family, just different."

Nami inched closer. "So what now?"

"What do you mean?" asked Sanji.

"Us."

"Nami-san, we'll figure it out – let's try not to rush things too fast."

Nami sighed. "It's not you. It's. . . I haven't had the best. . . history."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "I know that everything with Arlong-"

"This isn't about Arlong," said Nami. She curled into an even tighter ball. "If you want to have a relationship with me, you need to know this about me. I wouldn't feel right if you didn't know, I think." She looked at Sanji with sad eyes. "This is so hard to say, but. . . I'm sorry I must sound like a complete flake."

"It's all right, I'm listening," said Sanji.

"I. . . I was fourteen. I was trying to rob a pirate ship when one of the pirates found me and I realized I wouldn't be able to fight him off. He, of course, wanted to turn me in to his captain, but I tried to strike a deal with him. I didn't have anything of real value on me, so I couldn't try to pay him off, and then I realized there was one thing I could give him. . . my body." Sanji's eyes widened. Her bottom lip started to quiver, and within seconds Sanji had pulled her into a tight hug as she started to cry.

Sanji tried calming her down, holding her tightly. "Shh. . . it's okay to let it out."

"It hurt so bad. I ran home and cried to Nojiko for days."

"He had no right to do that to you."

"But I was the one who suggested it!" she said. "It wasn't like I was raped!"

"Could I kick his ass if we run into him?" asked Sanji.

"That wouldn't make me feel better."

"It would make ME feel better."

"I'll be all right," she said, but she returned the hug anyways.

They stayed there for several minutes while Nami calmed down. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing?"

Nami sighed. "It's not that, Sanji-kun. You've had a rough past couple of days and I made this about me," she said. Nami looked up at him and smiled. "Well. . . since everyone else is already in bed and probably doesn't want to get woken up, if you're okay with that, do you wanna find someplace quiet to sleep together tonight?"

Sanji looked a little confused. They hadn't been together that long and already she. . .?

Nami, however, was concerned with the far away, disconnected look in the cook's eyes. She sighed. It looked like not ALL of Sanji's behavior was related to that damn Garnish after all. "Not to 'do it' or anything – I just want you there when I fall asleep and when I wake up tomorrow – just to know you're safe. You gave me a real scare, Sanji-kun."

Back in Reality, Sanji smiled nervously at Nami. _Right. That makes more sense. Still, even if it's just cuddling with her. . . _"That's fine," he said. He was trying to fight back a smile. "I'm delighted at the chance to spend the night with you, but I know the reasons aren't so. . . great." Sanji got the two of them to their feet. "So . . . where do you propose we sleep? Robin and Sanae are in the girl's room and the guys are all in the boy's room. . ."

"Maybe just the floor of the lounge? There's a bunch of throw pillows in there."

"All right. We'll sleep in the lounge if that'll make you feel better."

Nami smiled. "Thank you, Sanji-kun."

Sanji placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Of course, Nami-san."

"I just have one little request."

"Yes?"

"If we do this relationship thing, could call me 'Nami' or maybe 'Nami-chan?'"

"Anything for you, Nami-chan."

* * *

Author's Notes

Okay, okay, I'm updating, I'm updating!

Besides, yesterday was my birthday, so here's a gift for all of you!

There's still a little left to tell! Probably just the epilogue at this point :) Enjoy, and reviews are more than welcome!

Special thanks to Crystal Cat-Chan who beta-tested this chapter for me.

-Dixxy


	22. The Ocean

Angel of Death Fruit

Book One: Deadline

By Dixxy Mouri

Epilogue and Author's Notes - March 6, Early Afternoon

"YOSH! Exploring time!"

"Hold on, Luffy, we're not ready to go yet," said Zoro, grabbing his captain's shoulder. Luffy whimpered, but decided to listen to his swordsman. Still, he looked longingly into the woods with a frown – they weren't doing anything fun at the ship. There was still so much more exploring to do! So much meat to eat!

After taking the previous day to recover from the incident with Elizabeth Stoker, the Straw Hats had re-organized their efforts to get supplies, this time taking Robin on the gathering expedition and leaving Sanji, his sister, and Nami with the Thousand Sunny. Once the group returned, Sanae would leave the island with the crew and eventually head towards Cold Stone Island to be with her other brother.

The boys were standing near the entrance to the woods as the last minute preparations were being made. Sanae was standing near her brother, who was giving the rest of the crew a more detailed list of the kinds of supplies they were going to need to bring back. Luffy tried to sneak away into the woods again, only to have Zoro grab his shoulder. Nami sighed at her captain, shaking her head at Robin as the two stood alone on the shoreline. "Are you sure you want to go with them? I mean, all that time alone in the woods with them . . . No quiet for who knows how long. . . You don't have to go, you know . . ."

Robin smiled. "I want to go with them."

"Something on your mind?" asked Nami.

"When you almost lost Cook-san it, it made me think," Robin said.

Nami blushed at the comment. "I wasn't the only one who almost lost him. . ."

Robin chuckled. "I believe you declared him to be 'your man'. And you did spend last night with him in the lounge." Nami's face turned pink. "It's a bit obvious, Navigator-san. You didn't return to our room last night and when I woke up this morning I found the two of you sleeping on the floor together."

"Nothing happened! We went to sleep. That's it."

"He had his arms around you."

Nami narrowed her eyes. "You know what I mean by 'nothing happened'."

"I believe you."

Nami closed her eyes. "As long as we understand that . . ."

The archaeologist shook her head. "I think you've cared about him longer than you realize, Navigator-san," she said. She frowned. "But it took something like this to make you see that. You could have lost him, and I think you would have discovered you loved him after he was gone, but it would have been hard on you."

"I know," she said. "For a while. . . it did look like he was gone. And then when I felt him breathing and I saw his eyes were open . . . I can't tell you how relieved I felt! I guess you guys must have felt pretty relieved, too, but. . . Robin, I've had to watch someone I love die before. I thought that it had happened again. I just didn't know that until. . ."

Robin hugged her, patting her on the back. "All things considered, it's a miracle he's still alive and doing so well after what he's been through. He's a clever young man, though all the wit in the world wouldn't have saved him if he hadn't found that sliver of sea stone while he was rifling around that building."

"Sanji's still got it, too," said Nami. "He tried making a pendant out of it."

"Tried?"

"I had to help him finish it. He's been wearing it under his shirt."

"Regardless, you almost lost him before you had a chance to tell him how you felt," said Robin. She sighed. "It made me realize that maybe some things shouldn't be put off. What if I never get the chance myself? Seeing what the two of you went through made me wonder if that was a pain I was willing to endure."

"Robin, what are you talking. . . about. . ." Nami saw that Robin wasn't looking at her anymore. The older woman's eyes were focused on the shipwright, who was writing down a list of Sanji's food supply demands. Nami's jaw dropped as Franky looked over at Robin, grinning stupidly and waving at her. She returned the gesture and seemed to glow.

"I. . . had no idea," said Nami.

"He makes me laugh, and I prefer taller, slightly older men," said Robin. She crossed her arms and turned her attention back to Nami. "I had been considering it for some time, just to see if it would work, but I always had an excuse to put it off. Either he was too busy, or it wasn't the right time to say anything. Well. . . I don't want to put it off anymore. Even if we are completely incompatible, I would rather know this for certain than never have the chance to find out for myself."

"Seriously, though? Franky?" asked Nami.

"Is something wrong with him?"  
"No, I just wouldn't picture you going after someone like him, that's all."

Robin bent down to whisper in her ear. "Well, I already had the chance to size up his-"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT! I'M STILL TRYING TO FORGET YOU DID THAT!" Nami said a bit too loudly. Everyone stared at her strangely, which Nami covered by coughing politely into her fist. "Have a good trip, Robin." She narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. "Never mention that to me ever again." Robin smiled, giving Nami a hug and a pat on the head.

"All right, I won't talk about that again," said Robin. She grinned playfully and flicked Nami's nose. "However, if it would be of any use to you, Navigator-san, I have some negligees and protection you can use in the top drawer of my dresser if you should decide to lock Butterfly-chan out of the women's quarters and invite Cook-san to spend the night."

Nami felt her face flush red. "ROBIN!"

No one was paying attention. Sanji and Zoro had started bickering (Nami slammed her palm into her forehead – not again – but at least no one was staring at her). Luffy, Usopp, Franky, and Chopper were watching from the sidelines with Sanae, who had a wide-eyed look of shock on her face with a little bit of fear. "Well, it looks like we have a little entertainment before we leave, Navigator-san."

"I'm TELLING YOU which plants are safe to get!"

"I can figure it out on my own!"

"No, you can't! I'm not going to have you poison everybody!"

"I'm not going to poison everybody!"

"You couldn't tell the difference between a strawberry and a watermelon!"

"Yes I can! Watermelons are big and green and strawberries are small and red!"

"Ooo, the big lug can identify fruit, let's give him a hand!"

"Shove it, dartboard eyebrow!"

"HEY!"

"Not you, Sanae. The eavesdropping I'm letting slide, so I've got nothing against you."

"You better not have anything against my sister."

"And if I did?"

"You're lucky I let you inhabit the same island as her!"

"What the – who the hell says I need your permission?"  
"My right foot up your ass does!"

Sanae groaned, sliding to the ground. "Great. BOTH of them want to play that game."

"Game? What game? Can I play, too?" asked Luffy.

"Onii-san and Onii-kun are too protective. . ."

Sanji sighed, slamming his palm to his forehead. "Look, Marimo, Chopper said he saw some olive trees while you guys were parading around this stupid island. They would be very, very useful to me if you brought some back. I could use the olive oil – I'm almost out." He sighed. "It'll be a pain in the ass to make but it would be nice to have it fresh."

Zoro grinned. "Oh, I get it. Extra VIRGIN olive oil."

Sanji's eyes widened and his cheeks started to turn pink. "You did not go there."

Nami sighed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Sanji hadn't exactly had any "opportunities" to sleep with a woman yet. If he couldn't kiss one, how was he going to bed one? Sanji had formally confessed this to her the night before, seeming almost ashamed of what he was telling her.

_"I know your first time was . . . but with men it's like a rite of passage, and I can't say I'm not a little curious about what it's like to make love to woman – and that's what I would do, I'd like to think. I don't want to put a woman through what you had to go through – I'd want her to want to be with me," _he'd said. _ "I heard stories about it when I was still on the Baratie from the other chefs. And I just-"_

_"Sanji-kun, it's fine, I know you're – as you put it - curious."_

_"Oh I get that, just . . . please don't tell Zoro. He'd never let me hear the end of it!"_

_"If he says anything to you it didn't come from me. Okay?"_

_"All right. Because if he finds out I'm a virgin. . ."_

_"Don't worry about it. Let's just go to sleep, okay?"_

"I just did, you stupid cook." Zoro's hand went to the hilt of Wadou Ichimonji.

Sanji lifted a leg. "THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

Sanae's eyes widened in fear. "What?"

Sanji and Zoro launched themselves at each other, screaming and kicking and exchanging blows while Luffy and his crewmates laughed on the sidelines (sans the women of his crew – Nami was getting annoyed with their battle and Robin was looking on in mild amusement). Sanae was looking frantically between the two men.

"No! What are you two doing!? You're going to hurt Onii-kun!"

Luffy tapped on Sanae's shoulder. "They do this all the time."

"Huh?" asked Sanae.

Sanji growled. "The only one getting hurt is the shitty swordsman!"

"You'll be bleeding out your ass, dumbass cook!" Zoro clinked his swords together.

"Chopper, prepare the infirmary – Marimo's going to be having an extended stay!"

"I'm bringing you with me, extra virgin!"

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

"BRING IT!"

March 13, early evening

"Why do they fight like that?"

"Ne, Sanae-chan?" asked Sanji, sitting down across the table from his little sister. He had a tray of drinks with him, which he handed to the two women, saving himself the glass of wine. He swirled the alcohol around in his glass before taking a drink, eyeing the young blacksmith. "What's on your mind, baby sister?"

"Why do you and Zoro fight like that?" asked Sanae. The three of them were sitting down to dinner, made from some of what was left of the food supply, some fish Nami and Sanji had caught off the side of the ship, and vegetables Sanae had foraged from part of the forest near the ship.

"Because he's stupid."

Nami shot a glance at Sanji, who stood his ground on his statement and didn't respond to her glare. She sighed. "I think they started flinging insults at the Baratie and never stopped," said Nami. "I'm getting this second hand, but I was told Sanji thought Zoro was an idiot for trying to fight Mihawk – and to Sanji's credit that scar across his chest came from Mihawk because our swordsman _was_ getting in over his head – but Zoro was upset that Sanji questioned his dream. Things just kind of went downhill from there."

Sanae shrugged. "Meh. Boys can be stupid."

"HEY!"

"It's true," said Sanae.

"Oh? What about the 'teddy bear' you found? You almost got me and Akito killed!"

"What's so dangerous about a teddy bear?" asked Nami.

Sanji grumbled. "She found a bear cave and dragged me and Akito to it."

Nami's eyes widened. "Oh dear."

Sanji stood up, raising and spreading his arms. "This big-ass bear comes by and Sanae was only, like, four, so she just points at it and goes 'teddy bear, teddy bear' and starts laughing and smiling like it's no big deal even though it was a fucking BEAR," he said. He glanced sideways at Sanae, who looked at him innocently. "I KNOW you remember that."

"Leave me alone, I was four!" said Sanae, taking a drink of her daiquiri.

"And you didn't know to avoid a fucking BEAR!?"

Sanae stood and slammed her hands on the table. "Well, what about the time you and Akito tried going after that stupid ball into the crazy old lady's house? Neither one of you came home that afternoon with the ball or the seats of your pants because of that stupid dog!" Nami started to laugh.

"THAT was a good ball! You know how far I could kick that sucker? It was crazy!"

"And that's how it ended up in the old lady's yard!"

"You were always that good at kicking?" asked Nami. "I thought Zeff taught you."

Sanji shrugged. "Well, he did, but there's only so far lessons can take you. I already had a lot of potential – he just recognized it, that's all." He glared at Sanae. "But as I recall YOU'RE the one who distracted me! That ball was SUPPOSED to go straight but you started yelling about something and it took a hard right!"

"Bull shit! That was one hundred percent your failure!"

"It was not my fault!"

"It was too your fault!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not times a million!"

"Was not times infinity!"

"You can't multiply by infinity!"

"And you couldn't kick a ball straight!"

"Yes I could!"

"Nu uh!"

Nami sat back and wondered if she and Nojiko were ever this bad. She crossed her legs and continued to observe as they transitioned back into the "was not/was too" portion of their argument. _Well, even though Sanji won't hit a girl, it looks like he has no problem arguing with his little sister._

Sanji looked angry and was clenching his fists, but then he grinned and raised a finger. Sanae watched him in confusion as he started to wave the finger around her body. "I would like to bring it to your attention, my dear little sister, that at this moment, I, your older brother, am not touching you."

Nami raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

Recognition lit up in Sanae's eyes. "Oh, don't you dare think you can-"

He waved his finger around her face. "I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you."

"STOP IT!"

"But I'm not touching you! See? Not touching you."

"SANJI!"

"I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you. . ."

"EEEK! GET AWAY!"

"Not touching you!"

Nami watched as Sanji proceeded to chase his sister around the table, the whole while Sanae threw various threats at her brother that he just laughed off. And through the entire chase, not once did the cook touch the blacksmith, which he kept reminding her of. Nami started to laugh soon enough, covering her mouth with her hands. Eventually they tired themselves out, laughing and coughing a little as they collapsed back into their chairs.

"Remember, Sanae-chan," Sanji said, lifting a finger. "I'm still not touching you."

Sanae stuck her tongue out at Sanji.

March 13, Late Evening

"I think your sister had a little too much grog tonight," said Nami. Sanae was passed out in the lounge, curled up underneath the aquarium. The navigator felt the Iron Butterfly's forehead. "She's not exactly drunk, but I think she's out for the night – I don't think she's done a lot of drinking before." Sanji nodded, but paused to wave his hand in front of his sister's face.

Sanae shifted in her sleep. "'mon 'Kito, gimme ice cream. . ."

"Yup. Take this one out of the oven – she's done."

"Should we move her back to my room?" asked Nami.

Sanji tilted his head. "She looks comfortable."

The Iron Butterfly rolled over. ". . . wan' ice cream . . ."

Nami nodded. "I've slept here before – it's not so bad."

"Yeah, Franky did a nice job with this room. I've taken some naps here myself."

Nami laughed, taking his hand. "When do you get to nap?"

"I can nap whenever I can ward off Captain Bottomless Pit."

"Well, I can't say that's an inaccurate description of Luffy."

"You don't have to cook for him." Sanji squeezed Nami's hand gently but firmly.

The navigator chuckled, briefly breaking away from Sanji to grab a throw blanket Robin used when she was reading in the lounge. She draped it over the Iron Butterfly's body (". . . mm, chocl' fudge . . . strawberry . . . whip cream. . . sprinkle . . .") and turned back to her boyfriend. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Somewhere that's not here," said Nami, gesturing to Sanae. The two left the lounge, holding hands, and closed the door behind them. Nami kissed Sanji's cheek. She then placed her hands over his lips. "Let's not wake her – she might still have a hangover tomorrow morning, so we should let her get the rest."

"Yeah," he said, taking her hand to kiss her fingers. He continued to hold her hand as they moved out onto the deck. Nami started to step towards the side rail, still holding his hand. Sanji followed, letting go only for Nami to hoist herself up onto the railing. He joined her, their legs dangling down towards the grass.

"The rest of the crew is due back sometime tomorrow," said Nami. She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing. "Then it's back to the usual. All the fighting, bickering, and pirating we can handle." Nami closed her eyes. "It's been nice having this past week to ourselves. Having the ship stay quiet for a change – at least compared to when Luffy and the others are here."  
Sanji nodded, thinking about this little reprieve they'd had from the normal chaos of the ship. No Luffy demanding food every time he tried to have a moment to himself. No Usopp causing small explosions across the ship or getting into trouble with Chopper. No Franky hammering away at something. No stupid swordsman period. "It has been nice, hasn't it?" Sanji said. He took her hand. "We won't get this often."

"No." Nami lifted her head and reached up to kiss him.

"Nami-chan. . ." Sanji pulled her close.

The kiss was good, but maybe a bit too forceful for a pair sitting the way they were on the railing. Sanji felt himself beginning to lose his balance. Nami clung to him as she, too, began to teeter closer and closer the watery side of the railing. Both of them started to flail their arms and legs, trying to regain their balance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoawhoaAHHH!!"

"SANJI-KUN!"

"NAMI-CHAN!"

SPLASH!

Both navigator and cook resurfaced, coughing up sea water. Both felt their hair clinging to their respective faces. They stared at each other for a few moments, gasping for breath and spitting to get the salty water out of their mouths. "Are you okay?" Sanji asked, treading water. "I'm so sorry, I lost my balance!"  
"No, it's okay, I lost mine, too!" she said. "That wasn't what I had planned!"

Sanji shook his head, sending water flying in all directions. Nami shrieked. "It's just a little water, Nami-chan!" he said. Nami looked him in the eye with a pout on her face before proceeding to splash him. Sanji yelped and dove back under the water. Nami looked around, trying to figure out where he was going to come back up. She heard a splash behind her and felt two arms encircle her.

"Sanji-kun!" she cried, laughing as he started to swim towards a place on the ship where they could climb back on deck, tugging her along. Nami let herself go limp, enjoying being dragged through the water – not like there was much she could do in that position, anyways. When they got to a rope, Sanji signaled for Nami to climb onto his back.

"Can you get us both back on deck?" asked Nami.

"Not a problem," he said, starting to scale the side.

"We're both soaked," said Nami.

"Water tends to do that, my little tangerine," said Sanji.

"When did we move on to pet names?"

Sanji gripped the railing. "It just seems like a good one for you." He pulled them up and over the side, giving Nami a chance to get down before he took off his jacket to wring it out over the side. He flopped the jacket over his shoulder. "That didn't really help much, did it?" Nami shook her head. Sanji sighed, draping the jacket over one of the lounge chairs to dry. He untied his tie and tried to wring it out as well, frowning as he stared down at his shirt – the dye from the tie had run all over it.

"We can see about getting you a new shirt at the next island," she said. Sanji nodded and pulled off the shirt, holding it in front of him to get a better look at it. Nami looked at him, biting her bottom lip. It was dark out, but the moon was shedding enough light onto the boat that she got a very good look at him.

Now, this was not the first time she'd seen Sanji without a shirt – at one time or another she'd probably seen most of the male Straw Hats shirtless – but this time was different. Now they were involved. Her mind flashed back to Robin's invitation to raid her top drawer and she felt her face flush. Maybe she could . . . maybe not. She crossed her arms and started drumming a finger on the side of her arm. But, then again, the others weren't on the ship, and Sanae was sleeping in the lounge. . .

Nami cleared her throat. "Y'know, Sanji-kun. . . we should probably get out of these clothes. It'll probably start to get cold soon and it wouldn't be a whole lot of fun to stand out here like this if a breeze blows through, you know? We should probably get a little warmed up." She felt her heart begin to beat a little faster.

_Oh, ho, ho, what are we up to now?_

_Shh . . . I've got this one under control._

_Are you sure?_

_He loves me, I love him, and I trust him. I've thought about it._

_Yes, you certainly have._

_. . . oh shut up._

"That's probably a good idea," Sanji said, nodding. "We'll probably want some dry clothes – we might get sick out here." He hung his tie next to the suit jacket, and then looked at his shirt in disappointment. "Oh well, guess this'll be a really expensive dish rag or something." He sighed. "I still can't believe that dye ran like that. I really liked this shirt, too."

Nami frowned. "Sanji-kun, who said anything about dry clothes?"

"So that way. . . we. . . oh. . . you mean. . . no. . . oh. . . OH." Sanji's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped in realization. Collecting herself, Nami reached up to flick under his chin and started walking backwards towards the girl's quarters. "You mean . . . tonight? Now? Right now? Us? You? Me? Alone?"

Nami grinned. Sanji was convinced he might die right then and there.

Nami stood in the door frame for a few seconds. "It wouldn't be good if we stayed in these wet clothes all night. Better go someplace warm and dry. My room is nice and cozy." She turned to go inside, swaying her hips as she disappeared through the door. Sanji almost fell to his knees. Nami poked her head out and grinned. She was driving him crazy. "What do you say?"

Sanji barely squeaked a 'mellorine' before scurrying after Nami towards the girl's room.

March 14, Mid Morning

Sanji was humming to himself as he washed the breakfast dishes. He and Nami had been the only ones who awoke at a reasonable hour that morning (though he did sneak into the lounge to make sure Sanae was all right – she was breathing and a small puddle of drool hand collected on the back of her hand, so in his mind she was fine), so he'd scraped together what he could to make a nice breakfast for just the two of them.

Nami was sitting at the kitchen table with a book. She'd offered to help Sanji with the dishes, but he'd insisted she let him take care of them. She said she wanted to at some point, promising she'd let Sanji help her out if he was worried she'd miss a spot or something.

"We're back! FOOD!"

Sanji turned his head to see Luffy entering the kitchen, dragging a few fowl behind him. Mr. Acorn was sitting on his shoulder, chipping away at a nut of some sort. The cook smiled, raising his spatula. "Good morning, captain!" he said with a salute and a grin. "How was the hunting expedition?"

The captain dropped the birds over by the fridge and raised his hands into the air. Mr. Acorn moved to the top of Luffy's hat. "It was awesome!" said Luffy. "We got to eat almost nothing but meat for a whole week and we've got even more meat for the next voyage! I know you made us get some plants, too, but it's okay because there's tons and tons of meat!"

"Fantastic!" Sanji said. "I'm sure everything will be great!"

Luffy scratched his head. "You're in an awfully good mood this morning."

Sanji just shrugged. "It's just a beautiful day, that's all!"

The captain tilted his head to the side. Usually Sanji got grumpy whenever he started talking about meat like that. Now he was just . . . unbelievably happy. Luffy wondered why until he heard Usopp calling him from outside about bringing more food onto the ship. This was all it took to distract the captain, who darted out, shouting about the food.

"Oi, stupid cook, I got you olives for your EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil." Zoro had an olive branch in hand, which he was waving over his head. Sanji closed his eyes and took a deep breath, but continued to wash the dishes. Nami stopped reading but didn't put her book down. She needed to observe this.

"Thank you, put them over there," said Sanji, though he wasn't even looking at Zoro.

Zoro glared at Sanji, placing the olive branch down. "Aren't you gonna say something?"

Sanji shrugged. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'? I said got the olives for the EXTRA VIRGIN-"

"I heard you the first time, Marimo. I'm not deaf."

Zoro grunted. "What are you up to?"

Sanji turned back to look at Nami, who closed her book and nodded at him. She cleared her throat. "Well, you see, Zoro, it's like this," said Nami, throwing her hands into the air. She had a huge grin on her face. "Somewhere between dinner and falling asleep, well, gosh darn it," Nami placed a hand to the side of her face in mock shock, "it seems we've misplaced it!"

"Eh?" asked Zoro, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, it's just like Nami-chan said," said Sanji, putting the dish he was working on back into the soapy water of the sink. He closed his eyes and started to shake his head, though he was grinning the whole time as he started to walk towards Nami. He stopped behind her chair, his hands on her shoulders. "It's gone! I had it most of yesterday but last night I lost it!""Cut the crap, stupid cook. What did you lose?"

Sanji smirked, folding his arms_. Stupid swordsman walked right into it. _ "My virginity."

Nami nodded, sticking out her tongue. "It's true! I was there! It's gone!"

"Not a trace."

"Never to be seen again."

Zoro turned on his heel, walked out, and slammed the galley door behind him.

Nami shook her head, laughing a little. "He'll get over it."

Sanji kissed her forehead. "You do realize I'm going to miss you every night, right?"

"You do realize that's the last time you get to brag about sleeping with me, right?"

"Hmm?"  
Nami looked up at him. "Zoro had it coming. But that was it. No more bragging."

Sanji nodded. "That's fine. But now that I know what I'll be missing. . ."

"You'll get used to it."

The cook sighed, rolling his eyes. "Unfortunately," he said. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "At least you get a sane roommate – Robin-chan's quiet and polite, right? I get to sleep in a room full of . . . them. They're. . . well. . . THEM!" Sanji laughed. "You've gone and spoiled me, Nami-chan."

Nami nodded. "Oh, I'll miss you, too. But you know you'll see me during the day, Sanji-kun, and whenever Robin takes watch at night you can come over and visit if you'd like . . ." Nami let a playful grin onto her face as she winked at him. Sanji felt his heart race a little and loosened his tie a bit.

Their conversation was interrupted by a yawn and a sleepy, hung-over Sanae plodding into the galley. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. "What's for breakfast?" Unfortunately for Sanji, "breakfast" was the cue for most of the crew to come piling into the galley, demanding said meal from the cook. Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy crowded around Sanji, looking at him eagerly.

"FOOD! BREAKFAST!"

"GIMME, GIMME, GIMME!!!"

"MEAT!"

Sanji gave Nami a shrug – they'd continue that conversation later.

March 14, Mid Afternoon

"Oi, Squishy!"

"Please don't call me that, Luffy," Sanae asked. She was standing on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, looking out at the ocean. Luffy hopped up onto the railing next to her, gripping the edge of the ship with one hand and holding his beloved straw hat with the other. Mr. Acorn was sitting on his shoulder – Luffy had wanted to take the squirrel with them.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm..." said Sanae. "Just thinking."

"About what?"  
Sanae smiled. "A lot," she said. She turned to face him, her hands behind her back as she leaned against the rail. "You know, Luffy, I've seen lots of awful pirates over the course of my bounty hunting career. There are men and women out there who've done terrible things to innocent people. Pirates who do awful things to each other. . . even their own crewmen." She laughed. "But you guys. . . you're not like those pirates."

"Why would they hurt their own nakama?"

"Some pirates just don't value the lives of others," said Sanae. "But you do."

"They're all my nakama," said Luffy. "I would never hurt them or our other friends."

"I know. That's why I'm glad Onii-kun's with you."

Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "Me too! He's an awesome cook and a good guy!"

Sanae crossed her ankles. "And you'd protect him and everyone else on this boat."

Luffy nodded. "Uh huh!"

The Iron Butterfly nodded. "Good. I'm glad."

Luffy slapped a hand on her shoulder. "So, what's your next move?"

"Huh?"

"What do you want to do now? You only became a bounty hunter to rescue Sanji, right?"  
"Well, that and hunt down my uncle."

"So are you still going to be a bounty hunter?"  
Sanae shook her head. "Nope. I'll probably go home to Cold Stone and be a blacksmith."

Luffy nodded. "How are you going to get there?"

"Well, I'll probably leave the ship when getting to Cold Stone seems safe," said Sanae.

Luffy scratched his head. "Where is Cold Stone?"

"It's on the first half of the Grand Line – not a lot of people go beyond it without an Eternal Pose, though, because we re-direct to Fishman Island through the Florian Triangle, just like Water 7 does. Most folks buy an Eternal Pose to Strawberry Isle, which takes the long way around the Florian Triangle to get to Fishman Island."

"We just left Water 7! So we're probably close by!"

"Hmm?"

"Actually, there's a small chance that's where we're headed anyways."

Sanae and Luffy turned to see Robin standing behind them. "What do you mean?"

"The Log Pose didn't necessarily set itself back to Fishman Island," said Robin. She smiled. "Although I'm sure we'll reach it eventually, there's no telling where we're headed right now. Wild Isles are very unpredictable in that sense." She cleared her throat. "Depending on how close Butterfly-chan's island is to the Wild Isle – considering we came from Water 7, it can't be all that far – then we might be headed there."

Luffy shrugged. "Okay."

Sanae turned to face the captain. "This means you're off course. Aren't you worried?"

"Nah. It means we have another island to explore!" Luffy laughed, crossing his arms.

The Iron Butterfly leaned against the railing again. "It means Onii-kun could see Onii-san, too," she said. She stood up straight, her eyes wide. "That's right! Onii-san and Onii-kun haven't seen each other in years!" Sanae tilted her head to one side. "It'll probably scare Akito to see Sanji at first but they'll probably be real happy to see each other, what where Sanji's supposed to be dead."

"Huh? Why?" asked Luffy.

"Because if we hadn't intervened, Cook-san would probably be dead," said Robin.

"Oh yeah. Good thing we stopped her."

Robin placed a hand on Sanae's shoulder. "And you aren't worried about the bounty?"

Sanae lowered her eyes. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot Onii-kun's a wanted man."

"Why is that a problem?" asked Luffy. "Isn't that how you found Sanji?"

"I didn't start looking for him until after I'd cried and punched a few walls," said Sanae. She closed her eyes. "I know how you pirates view bounties. It's like a status symbol or something. 'This is how much I'm worth. I'm worth more than you.' But you must understand by now that there are a lot of pirates out there who do horrific things."

Luffy nodded. "Yeah. I guess so."

"Well, I've seen some pirates do awful things to each other and to innocent people. I was afraid that Onii-kun might have been one of those pirates," she said. "I didn't know what kind of life Sanji led up until I saw that wanted poster. I was clinging to this hope that he was out there somewhere living quietly, maybe having already completed his Mercy Task, found himself someplace to be safe. When I saw that he was a pirate I. . . like I said, I cried and started hitting and throwing things. I didn't know what to do with myself."

"You were hoping to bring him back home with you."

"That was the idea when I first set out, yes, but now I see that's not an option," said Sanae. Much to Luffy's surprise, she smiled. "He's happy here. He's in love with Nami. I have no right to take that away from him. It would have been nice for the three of us to live on the same island as a family again, but as odd as it sounds I feel like Onii-kun is going to be safe with you guys."

"But you are family," said Luffy. "He's your brother. How does his bounty change that?" He put his hand on Sanae's shoulder. "I've got a big brother, too! We're both pirates, and we're on different crews. He wants his captain to be the Pirate King, but see, I'm going to be the Pirate King, so that's kind of a problem but that's okay. It doesn't stop us from being brothers."

A scoff came from behind. Sanae turned to see her brother standing behind her, a cigarette in hand. "C'mon, Sanae, you're smarter than that, or did 'Kito and I suck all the smarts out of the family tree before you fell off the branch?" He looked at Luffy and Robin. "May I step in and take care of her?" He blew out a smoke ring and smiled at Luffy. "I've even got a leftover leg of something for a certain captain if he goes away."

"MEAT! WHOO-HOO!" Luffy darted off in the direction of the kitchen. Robin smiled and nodded politely before heading towards the library. Sanji sighed, turning to his little sister. He placed a hand on her head and gently rubbed it. Sanae looked up at him, a sad look in her eyes.

"We both know that I can't stay on Cold Stone with you and Akito. If circumstances were different I might, but I can't do that," he said. Sanji looked over the rest of the boat. "I don't know if you've heard the legend or not – living on the Grand Line you might have – but I want to find All Blue. I heard about it after I left home and I decided I wanted to see it."

Sanae nodded. "Robin and Nami told me about that."

"That's why I'm staying on this ship."

"And you like it here."

Sanji nodded, taking a drag on his cigarette. "I guess I do."

"You're part of this crew and you need to protect each other, right?"

He shrugged. "I suppose so."

"And you love Nami."

"Very much," said Sanji, sighing dreamily. He stood straight and coughed into his hand. "However, that doesn't mean that I don't plan on paying our dear elder brother a visit – if we are, indeed, heading for Cold Stone." He turned around to lean against the railing. "In that event, I'm going to make us a big dinner and the three of us can have a nice evening – just us. I know it's not much, but I want to see him again. I'm glad our shitty uncle didn't kill him but I'm worried that he can't walk anymore. I need to see him for myself."

"And you aren't worried about how he's going to react to the pirate thing?"

Sanji shrugged. "I don't care if he rejects me. I just need to know he's okay and I need him to know that I'm okay, even if he does . . . well, let's just say I hope he doesn't." He crossed his arms. "I'll make sure I write to you guys. I write to the old man on the Baratie once in a while, you know, to let him know I'm all right. If I can write to that geezer I can spare a few lines for you guys."

"I'd like that. Besides, you need to tell me about all of your adventures!" said Sanae. She looked up at him with excited eyes. "Tell me everything that's happened to you! How you left North Blue, how you met Luffy and the others, and all of the stuff you've done as a pirate! I wanna know everything!"

Sanji nodded. "Well, all right," he said. "I'll make us a pot of tea and I'll meet you in the lounge. But you need to tell me about how you and Akito ended up in the Grand Line, met your master, and how you got your Devil Fruit. Do we have a deal?" Sanae nodded and scurried off towards the lounge.

Sanji smiled. It was going to be a good day.

And after twelve years, he finally had a whole lifetime of good days to come.

Somewhere on the Grand Line . . .

For the most part, Grand Line sailors wouldn't have given that colorful boat so much as a second glance, Jolly Roger or not. It certainly didn't belong to someone as powerful as one of the Four Emperors or one of the Seven Warlords, or even a crew as notorious as the Foxy Pirates or the Straw Hats.

No one amongst Buggy the Clown's ranks seemed to care at that moment.

There was liquor and entertainment for everyone on board. Certainly they weren't very close to finding the Straw Hats. The last Buggy's crew had really heard was that the bounties of Luffy's crew had gone up – again – and attracted the attention of some bounty hunter girl with a butterfly tattoo on her back. But she didn't seem to know where the Straw Hats were, either – she was asking around to find them.

Buggy the Clown was enjoying his time with his crew until he saw something on the horizon. Putting down his bottle of whiskey, he squinted his eyes to try and get a better look. It was definitely a ship, but he wasn't exactly sure what kind of ship it was. Marine? Pirate? Passenger?

"Mohji, hand me that spy glass," he said quietly. The murmur caught the attention of both Cabaji and Alvida, who eyed their captain in curiosity as the beast tamer gave Buggy the instrument. He put it to his eye and looked through, studying the ship and its sails carefully. It was flying a Jolly Roger, so it definitely wasn't a Marine or a passenger ship – barring some kind of trick.

Then he saw the skull of the flag was blank – no eyes, no nose, no teeth.

Buggy froze. Could it possibly be _that _person?

"Cabaji. We need to leave. Right now."

"Captain Buggy?" Cabaji asked, confused by the order.

"Don't question my order – just do it. Do not let that ship get near us."

Cabaji nodded, heading into the crowd of the pirates to give the order. Although they complained that their party was ending so soon, they soon made quick work of setting the ship to sail far, far away from the vessel that had spooked their captain. Cabaji returned to Buggy's position, where Mohji and Alvida were exchanging looks of confusion.

"Buggy? What's wrong? Why are you so afraid of that ship?" asked Alvida.

Buggy swallowed as the ship faded from view. They were probably going to escape, but the knowledge that the ship was that close made his skin crawl. "I've only heard of that man. But I knew that I would never, ever want to meet him face to face. Even the great Gold Roger would have been wary of him."

"What?" asked Mohji.

"That flag. . . is the symbol of an Angel of Death Fruit user."

Author's Notes

First and foremost let's do some thank-yous!

**God**: Because.

**Da Beta Readers:**

**-**Su Na, for being a primary beta reader during the early phases of this fanfiction and an early plot discussion person

-Kago, an old college roommate from most of freshman year, basically all of sophomore year, and half of junior year, and for helping with drawing related stuff

-Triple C, who doesn't even LIKE One Piece

-feenix, for the epilogue

-flying glove, also for the epilogue

-Bronze Tigress, for multiple drafts of the epilogue, LATE plot discussion and the olive oil joke

**Da Artists (artwork can be found on DeviantArt):**

-Olafpriol, for her depictions of Sanji's "good bye" scene

-Silverwings, for her depiction of a spoiler-free Sanae

**And of course, everyone who read and reviewed **_**Deadline**_**, as well as those who added me or this story to their Alerts and Favorites lists. **

Well, that's about it! Except. . .

_**COMING SOON TO A NEAR YOU!**_

The saga continues as the Straw Hats and their companions head for parts unknown onboard the Thousand Sunny. In the middle of the night, Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro spots intruders boarding the ship. Confronting them, he learns far too late that his opponent has eaten the second Angel of Death Fruit, making the swordsman his latest victim!

Will the Straw Hats stop this newest plot?

Will someone from the Straw Hats' past return?

Find out all this and more!

Action!

Comedy!

Romance?

More Zoro!

More Straw Hats!

More Mr. Acorn!

_**Lifeline!**_

WINTER 2008

-Dixxy


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